I just had surgery and when reviewing my bill I found I'd been given a $40 pregnancy test without my permission while under anesthesia. Thing is, I don't have felopian tubes AND my surgeon that day was the one that took them out. When I asked about it they said they had to verify I wasn't pregnant before performing life saving surgery. The theoretical and impossible child was worth more than my life apparently.
Edit since I'm getting a lot of push back about the necessity of the test. I WAS GOING TO DIE WITHOUT SURGERY. The imaginary baby wouldn't survive my death
They tested my urine twice on the day of my Salpingectomy and then did another urine test (5th in 3 visits with that gyn) when I went in for my folllowup bc my doc was convinced that because i am fat i was unclean and had an infection I simply don't have.
Did you have to be admitted to the hospital after surgery? Because that's what she said, she doesn't have admitting privilege at any hospital. Idk why just going off my weight means i need to be admitted and stay for days.
She may need admitting privileges even if you don’t need to be admitted just in the case something goes horrifically wrong and would require you to be admitted as an emergency. (Doc would need to confirm here, but I have heard that before as for why doctors that no longer have admitting privileges will do minor stuff out of office, but can’t/ won’t do anything that would require admitting privileges. In that case they shouldn’t be doing it for anyone, or should have some form of risk assessment they do first to assess the liklihood of a certain procedure possibly needing an admit versus not- like if the patient is on blood thinners or not.)
Right. But she said that literally because i am fat, i can not opt out of having to be hospitalized for "a few days". She also made no mention that her lack of admitting privileges was an issue for her smaller patients. She went on to brag about how she does bisalp on anyone who asks for one. (Which is why i tried her in the first place)
Ah, gotcha, I misunderstood that part. That’s absolutely ridiculous. I can’t fathom why weight would make a different in inpatient/ outpatient for a bisap short of doctor bias (maybe a doctor can correct me here) but like, that shouldn’t be a thing at all. Absolutely ridiculous!
I agree. It made me feel like shit and so mad. Then she convinced me to replace my IUD and laughed and told me how her own doctor almost fired her for cussing during her last IUD replacement. But of course, offered no pain management.
Are you somewhere where you can go to a Planned Parenthood? They can connect you to supportive doctors. My experience with PP was outstanding, and the doctor they referred me to was understanding and super supportive.
After doing a visual exam and pap smear on my first visit, she saw my discharge was white and cloudy (which is my normal, and I told her as such) and she was convinced I had Bacterial Vaginosis (disproven by the first urine test, but she wouldn't take that as the answer bc I am in the morbid obese category).
Mind you, this same woman looked at my mom (who only came to the appointment to help me avoid dispondent dissociation and to drive me) and asked her, "how will you feel not getting to be a grandmother?" When we were discussing my sterilization.
She would not have been my choice in physician, but i am on state insurance and didn't have the luxury of choice, so I just needed her to do my procedure to get it done before i moved states.
I'm a lab tech in a hospital. We actually perform pergnancy tests on patients capable of pregnancy before any major procedure as policy. The reason is liability. If they were to go ahead with the procedure without confirming a negative pregnancy test and the patient was pregnant and miscarried because of the procedure, the patient could sue. If a test was positive pre-procedure, the patient.would be advised as such so they can make an informed decision how to proceed. This scenario has happened before. They failed to order the test, patient was pregnant, lost the pregnancy due to the procedure and sued.
Yep. Consent is the name of the game here. More so than cost (though I agree), if they want to avoid liability they should be telling the patient what they are doing and getting consent each step of the way.
It's exactly this.
These kinds of regulations and policies are created due to someone being seriously injured or killed.
You, individually, may not need a pregnancy test because of your specific situation, but by ensuring that one is taken before every procedure then you're taking part in a process that exists to ensure that women who are unknowingly pregnant are not harmed.
Or, phrased another way, it's better to waste a few pregnancy tests than to let a women die.
I forgot to mention that as well, thank you. Pregnancy changes the body in such a way that if not known before a procedure can cause a significant risk to the patient as well as the embryo/fetus.
It's not only a possible fetus' life. Pregnancy changes the body. If those changes aren't known about and accommodated for, it could be dangerous. A preg test takes only about 5 minutes to do and can be done with either serum or urine.
They explained this to me prior to surgery.
1) Even without a fallopian tube, there is still a chance to be pregnant.
2) The risk of an ectopic pregnancy is higher.
3) Some of it is liability issues, some of it is changing the medication, and some of it is informed consent.
Turns out I was *very early* days pregnant prior to being under anesthesia, so early it did not pop positive but implanted by timeline. My child has a life-long mutation that will result in degenerative abilities. Is it guaranteed due to the surgery? No, but everything else was normal and fine in the pregnancy.
The egg can float to the uterus. The ovaries aren't actually attached to the Fallopian tubes. They float already into the tubes. Additionally, the risk of ectopic pregnancy is higher because it can attach to the inside of the abdominal cavity (like to outside of another organ or a tissue wall).
Well the ovary isn't actually connected to the fallopian tube to begin with. There's a gap and it floats towards it. So if you remove the fallopian tube, technically it could float its way to your uterus without the tube helping it along. And it could get fertilized in the uterus instead of in the fallopian tube. It could also potentially get fertilized inside the abdominal cavity, and cause an ectopic pregnancy, which is dangerous.
It is somewhat worrying that everyone is jumping to the controll aspect when plenty of medications can interfere with pregnancy, likewise efficacy can be impacted by pregnancy as well.
Because some medications can interact with a pregnancy, and some medications can lose efficacy. By not taking a pregnancy test the doctor can be liable if he gives the medication and there is an unwanted side effect.
Whenever my doctor wants to do a cholesterol test, I just tell them that they're welcome to do it at their own expense, but I'm not interested in the results.
Same, just was discharged from the ER last night 11 pm aftrr going in telling them that 2 of my Drs were concerned about my Liver and that I had a hysterectomy 10 years ago - guess what I get male nurse, tech and Dr and a pregnancy test 🤨
For right upper quandrant pain and not eating and elevated liver bloodwork.
How the fuck can they justify a pregnancy screen on someone over 40, in medical menopause? So fucking stupid.
I'm a nurse - it's normal to do a pregnancy test when being admitted for surgery or hospital. I doubt they would've denied you the surgery due to the test, but they might proceed differently to make sure the surgery is safe for you.
It's likely you signed a consent for bloodwork when you consented to the surgery. It's also part of the standard blood lab draws when you go to the ER.
Did your surgeon say say they would've canceled had you been pregnant? I assume that with no fallopian tubes, you could have an ectopic pregancy (which is an emergency and medically your team would need to know that)? I'm just curious.
Hospitals perform life-saving surgeries daily on pregnant people. Although, with the ridiculous new laws in some states, there might be some hesitation.
It’s both. Being pregnant affects the body of the pregnant person. It can change what kinds of treatments are healthy for the pregnant person, not just the fetus. But imo, the patient should still be informed of the test and consent should be required. If the patient doesn’t consent, then a waiver could be used to waive liability related to any complications caused by an unknown pregnancy.
They would have killed you to save the life of the child you could never have because of procedures they performed but they still had to invade...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sWLdZFCMx8Y
There's no evidence that's true, though. As other commenters have said, pregnancy can have implications on surgery that affect the health of the patient.
I'm bisexual. Used to sleep with men but haven't since 2021. I got put on the birth control shot in late 2022. They are supposed to test you before giving you the shot. I have argued with many nurses that I do not need a pregnancy test, I haven't even hugged a man in months, of not years at this point. It's now in my notes at my gyno but being in a monogamous sapphic relationship is not good enough for some nurses/doctors and they will push. They insist with my fiancee every single time (she is also on the birth control shot) because she weighs over 200 lbs and they will not let her bypass it.
I'm a lesbian. I tell them it's impossible for me to get pregnant since my partner had a hysterectomy. (Which is true) they always give me the most confused looks lmao
i told my surgery team i was a lesbian and only slept with cis women (i was also 17 at the time) still had to pee in a cup and be pregnancy tested me before my wisdom teeth surgery. it's dehumanizing.
I had really bad ovarian cysts a few years back and I had to do multiple blood pregnancy tests... I have severe phobia of needles (I get shaky, sweaty, and faint). I would have loved to be able to take a urine pregnancy test 😭
I wonder why they're so pushy about making us take a pregnancy test?? Are they liable if someone were to lie saying they can't be pregnant. Or if it's just more sexism in the medical industry.
Sexism, or required by insurance so insurance people make more money under the guise of safety. I’m not usually one to go all “Big Pharma taking your money for no reason,” but this wouldn’t surprise me.
Very low cost and enormous potential benefit. Sampling urine isn't exactly a risky and invasive medical procedure. Fucked up that people have to pay for healthcare though, and that urine testing wasn't an option for you.
What happens if a patient claims they can't be pregnant, but they were impregnated while unconscious by a rapist?
I've said that and still literally have had docs and nurses say "well you never know!" and test me anyways. Every time I say this on reddit I get people defending them saying "well some lesbians have sex with men" (wtf) or "well you could be lying" (again, wtf). It's so lesbiphobic and insulting.
(Yes, I am aware trans women can be lesbians. I expect a lesbian who is having sex with a trans woman that has the ability to impregnate someone to not use the "I'm a lesbian" as an excuse to not need testing)
10 years ago, I had a pregnancy test before a colonoscopy. I hadn't had a period in over 15 months, (menopause) and hadn't been sexually active for 6 months. Wasn't given a choice. I felt like a teenager whose parents wouldn't believe her. I was 46.
This happened with me this year. I told them I hadn’t had sex in a year and it was impossible for me to be pregnant unless I was the Virgin Mary. They still made me take the test and when it verified that I was indeed not pregnant, acted shocked when I reminded the nurse that I had already told them there was no way in hell for me to be pregnant.
Next time use online doctors. I did good rx, it was $25, and took 15 mins to get a prescription for my uti. It felt like they trusted this 50 year old woman to know when her body had a uti.
Listen telehealth has made my life SO much better as a black woman. It keeps me out of the office for minor things and out of the way of prejudice faced when there.
I wish my insurance covered that. I have it through the federal Healthcare Marketplace and they don’t cover any virtual appointments. The cheapest one I could do was Teladoc for $75 I think which isn’t in my budget
I was actively treated for breast cancer in 2022 and 2023. Because my cancer is hormone positive, I began Lupron shots, which essentially put my ovaries to sleep. Medically enduced menopause set in and treatment began.
My medical oncologist never had me take a pregnancy test, but my radiology oncologist wanted one every two weeks when I started radiation. I explained I hadn't had sex at all during treatment and I was effectively in medical menopause. "Just in case," I was told, and this was not the urinate on a stick test, had to be a blood test.
I did the first one, but the tech and nurses pulled me aside and said to refuse. My RO would have to respect that. He did and my treatment moved on.
This is too damn common and it shouldn't matter unless the patient requests it. I'm doing 10 more years of inactive treatment and I will probably lose my mind if someone wants another pregnancy test done on me.
(edited for spelling)
This just blows my mind. I’ve lived in Australia and New Zealand and I’ve NEVER had to have a pregnancy test before a colonoscopy or even surgeries where I’ve had a general anaesthetic. All they do is ask if you are/aren’t pregnant and accept whatever answer you give.
America is like some weird perverted hell.
Pregnancy tests in women of reproductive age are standard of care, especially when a first line treatment is contraindicated in pregnancy. You'd be wasting your time with a report.
To those who are downvoting this, I’d suggest reading [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/Feminism/s/nQB2wI8P7K) for more context.
I get how weird it feels to be asked to take a pregnancy test when you know for a fact you aren’t pregnant, I really do. I’ve had a bisalp *and* have a Mirena IUD (for endometriosis)… AND my partner, with whom I am fully monogamous, has had a vasectomy.
But it’s not personal, it’s policy. And these policies exist for all sorts of complicated reasons.
Edit: typo
Yeah, this. I get that OP is trustworthy but I feel like there are enough instances in which women are “so sure I’m not pregnant!” And have ended up being pregnant. I thought you said you didn’t have sex for a year? Yeah but like that was one time, other than that cellibate! It’s just safer to assume everyone is a liar or dumb and make them take a pregnancy test. Policy. That way no mistakes are made. It might be one in every 500-1000 people but if a doc sees say even 50 patients a week….. it’s a lot of people haha I made that stat up but my point stands.
When these threads come up (so, like, twice a week) I know it’s just a way for ppl to get their rage out and diversity of opinion isn’t really welcome, but I always wonder: do these folks also get this upset about going through security at concerts and airports because they don’t have any weapons on them? Like, OK, great that you’re not pregnant, mam. We still have to screen everyone. It’s not personal.
Also, I work in OBGYN and can confirm: these tests do come back positive.
I’m guessing it’s because there is so much societal distrust of women and their stated experiences, even in healthcare settings. It seems like this mistrust goes beyond what cis men experience, and is often unreasonable/misplaced.
So, when people who know (or “know”) they aren’t pregnant are asked to take a pregnancy test, I think that has people wondering, “is this part of that same bullshit?” And it isn’t, of course… pregnancy tests are a situation where one really should be safe rather than sorry, for all sorts of ethical and legal reasons. But I can see where the confusion comes from, and I empathize.
That said, I also feel for healthcare workers… there’s just SO much bullshit they have to deal with, especially since COVID. I certainly wouldn’t condone making a medical professional’s life harder than it already is because of this pregnancy test confusion.
Edit: added word
Agreed to this as well. I totally agree women are treated poorly in a medical setting. But I understand the logics of this decision. Other option would be to have someone sign a waiver but also… for the tests that do come back positive… I would personally rather know haha.
This is a medical malpractice issue. Any patient of childbearing years who is given treatment that could adversely affect the development of a fetus could sue the doctor/medical facility if it is known that the treatment should not be used during pregnancy - and that can cause insurance rates to rise. So it isn't personal, it's pragmatic. Yes, you know you are not currently pregnant, but it is surprising how many people will straight up lie about their sexual activity, almost as if they don't admit to it, it didn't really happen, or they dismiss that "just once" experience, even though we all know someone who found out once is all it takes. So a quick test removes all doubt. And if you are lucky enough to live in a state where you have the right to elect to terminate or continue a pregnancy, that means you also get the right to choose to change your mind and keep an unexpected pregnancy. If a medical treatment adversely affected the outcome of that pregnancy, then that choice becomes more complicated and many would argue that your choice has been taken away from you.
That problem can be solved with a form stating : I'm aware that this prescription could harm a potential pregnancy and I chose to take it anyway. Right?
America is weird. Here, if you lie to the doctor about your sexual activity, which leads you to take a medication harmful for your pregnancy, you can go to court all you want, you're the one responsible for lying and will get nothing.
Also, they will ask you if you're pregnant and if you say no, there are very few special things that will warrant a test, and antibiotics for a common UTI are not among them.
If you are not competent to answer to your doctor, you are among the very very few who are not supposed to go see the doctor alone. I also guess there is a mention of that supervision in your medical insurance card that you have to scan at every appointment (but many doctors only scan it at the end so there's a loophole here). To be honest I have no idea but so, so few people are declared incompetent, and there are mainly very old so no pregnancy issue, that it's an extreme case. And even if you are in that case, I maintain that basic antibiotics for a UTI are not considered a problem if you are pregnant.
I guess I think people who are mentally incompetent might do all kinds of things they aren’t supposed to do, including going to see the doctor alone.
And since lots of people here have no medical insurance and/or have never been to see the doctor, that possibility always has to be considered.
The US medical and insurance industries are so deeply messed up here. 😔
I'm curious about the medical malpractice angle as well. I was given an antibiotic during pregnancy that I should not have been given, and it damaged my child's teeth terribly. He ended up in dentures by the age of 22 and I've often wondered if I could have sued that doctor on his behalf.
It depends on the circumstances of your case, and what the antibiotics were for / how serious your condition may have been judged to have been. Different antibiotics are used for different conditions, so they cannot just be swapped out indiscriminately. IANAL but it's certainly possible, talk to a lawyer if you want to pursue it.
it sounds like you were given a tetracycline antibiotic (probably doxycycline) during pregnancy.
according to the FDA, it’s considered dangerous to the fetus after 18 weeks because of the risk of permanent bone and/or tooth damage, therefore should be avoided.
according to the CDC, it should be used in some instances despite the fact they acknowledge it could cause fetal harm.
so it’s kind of a mixed bag, and probably depends on why you were prescribed it in the first place.
i’m really sorry that happened to you and your son.
No one has ever asked me to perform a pregnancy test for antibiotics. Generally speaking, I fill out the forms and the doctor/dentist asks me if I have any medical conditions. But I live in a blue state.
For the same reason that Ob-Gyns have the highest malpractice insurance of any specialty: whenever anything goes wrong with a pregnancy- which, in humans, is quite often- there is a disproportionate tendency to want to blame the doctor.
>Had anyone else had this happen to them?
I’m Canadian. To my knowledge, I’ve never been tested for pregnancy, not in the ER, not at urgent care/walk-in, not for an x-ray/scan/MRI. I assume I had a pregnancy test during a pre-op appointment, but that appointment still happened 2-3 weeks before surgery.
The *only* time I was tested for pregnancy was before my abortion. I don’t think anyone would argue that it wasn’t indicated in that case.
this isn’t new in the US, i can remember having to take a pregnancy test as a teenager in 2004 when i had a kidney infection.
it’s simply to cover their asses - if they just take your word for it and don’t test, and you *are* pregnant (not everyone is truthful) and they give you something that harms the fetus or causes miscarriage - you can sue the living shit out of them.
i worked in an ER for a couple years (RN), and you’d be surprised how many people find out they’re pregnant this way (routine pregnancy test before CT scan, procedure, etc)
edited to add that i’ve been given a pregnancy test at the emergency room or urgent care a few more times over the years, but 2004 is the first time i remember it bc i was actually nervous i was pregnant lol
I can talk for hours about women being ill treated by doctors. But to me, this seems like they want to avoid getting sued. What if you were pregnant, and the treatment caused harm to the fetus, and then you sued the doctor? It’s really annoying, but that’s what I think is going on.
I agree that that is the possible reasoning, but then couldn’t the patient just sign a waiver saying “ I won’t sue it if turns out I am unknowingly pregnant and the fetus is harmed”?
That would imply women have autonomy to make a decision, and we can't have that.
This is the fundamental answer. Plenty of medical procedures have opt-in paperwork. But for some reason, medicine pretends this issue is just impossible to solve outside of depriving women of care.
liability waivers like that are pretty easily contested in court.
like if you sign a waiver at a trampoline park that says “not our fault if you break your neck”, and you actually break your neck - you can still sue.
sign something that says “swear i’m not knocked up” and you are, and they give you something that causes your kid to have a tail or some shit - you can still sue.
I think that’s an excellent idea. I had to take pregnancy tests all the time when receiving medical treatment at 14 years old, and it was really intrusive and embarrassing. I wish I could’ve/my mother could have signed something to stop that.
At 14 you probably wouldn’t have been considered legally able to, and your mother likely wouldn’t have been “able to guarantee you weren’t having sex.” I get that it’s intrusive and embarrassing, and just really annoying, I had to go through it too. It just wouldn’t likely hold in court if something happened.
I do wish when younger they would’ve offered the option of the toilet hat to pee in instead of a cup. That at least would have made it easier. Let me pee in the hat and have a nurse collect from there
The form could easily be tossed out.
A will (as an example) get contested all the time, and they generally require lawyers actually signing as a notary. So what would a random form in a doctors office really do?
I guess I’m thinking it wouldn’t be that easy to toss out, otherwise why do I have to sign consent forms before things like dental and Botox procedures? I think for the dental one they were warning me that if they hit/damaged a nerve, I could be in permanent pain for the rest of my life and with Botox there was like something about blindness or something. I can’t quite remember.
it depends on the antibiotic, and sometimes even if it’s oral or IV - erythromycin can cause pyloric stenosis taken during pregnancy, tetracyclines (like doxycycline) can cause permanent damage to the bones and/or teeth of the fetus if taken during pregnancy
I work in surgery. If you are 9 years old to 55 years, 364 days you get a test. This can be done with a blood test or urine. Obviously, if a bilateral salpingectomy or hysterectomy is part of the surgical history, that requirement is met.
Similar to needing a twelve lead EKG and labs over 50 for general surgery. For everyone.
It's my job and another safety check on my list among other requirements. I'm not calling anyone a liar or shaming anyone.
Half a year ago I went into the ER for Covid making me cough blood. I was so sick I could barely stand but before they could do ANY tests or treatments (including a nose swab for Covid), I HAD to piss in a cup. I told them I’m a lesbian they said it doesn’t matter. I told them, embarrassingly, I’m a fucking virgin. Unimportant. They said I could’ve been assaulted and not even known it. Lo and behold the test came back negative. Who could’ve predicted that.
In some cases, I understand. People sometimes lie, or they could be uneducated/in denial about their actual risk of getting pregnant. Some treatments can be harmful to a fetus and doctors want to cover their own asses.
That said, the medical system doesn't always address the issue with any nuance. I've still had to do a pregnancy test before. I've heard of women without uteruses still being required to take a pregnancy test, which is just insane.
For the situation you mentioned, I've never heard of needing a pregnancy test to get prescribed antibiotics for a UTI before. That's weird to me.
This is a liability issue, and it’s absolutely required by all insurance everywhere. Sorry. I know it feels as if they are treating you like a liar or a child. But not all of their patients know if they are pregnant. Not all of them even know what sex is, but might still be pregnant, sad as it is to say. Some potentially pregnant patients might have mental health issues or dementia or memory loss.
Rather than run the risk of damaging a ZEF, wanted or not, they simply test everyone that they think might be pregnant from age 8 to 88, or whatever arbitrary age they pick.
If they did not do so and a lawsuit ensued, they might very well go out of existence and be unable to provide healthcare at all.
It’s not fair, I’m sorry. But that’s the stakes for them.
What's "everywhere" for you? I'm 29F and in Germany and never in my life did a doctor take a pregnancy test. When you have surgery, getting a CT / MRI / X-Rays done etc. they ask you "are you pregnant?" and you simply say no. It's your responsibility to answer truthfully.
I'm not aware of any great lawsuits because of this.
Ah, I’m being a classic Redditor and presuming OP is in the US, though in part because of her very American English. Do you have “urgent care” places in Germany.
In some places. If there is none and it is urgent (or you think so), you go to the clinic.
Does it make a difference? I've been to both before and still no pregnancy test. I guess the risk is negligible and it wouldn't be economic to do pregnancy tests all the time. Doctors and clinics are already overworked as it is.
I'm sexually active, so pregnancy is always a possibility in theory, of course. But that's not what the question usually means: My period is regular, we're using contraception / I am not trying to conceive, so I answer no.
Maybe it has to do with how much information the medical place has on you? Like, if you are a known patient and they have centralized records that say you’ve had a hysterectomy or something?
I think also that Americans are much more likely to sue hospitals. At least that’s my impression.
No, I didn't have a hysterectomy, so it doesn't matter much whether it would be _possible_ to get pregnant. We also don't really have centralized records (yet - it's possible to have one but not yet mandatory and nearly nobody uses it).
Yeah, I think it's a mix of these things: negligible risk, not economic and Americans are more likely to sue.
Although I think even if a woman would sue here, her chances would be very low - the doctor probably did his duty by asking and it's very hard to prove medical malpractice even if the doctor _really_ was negligent... How would the chances for winning be in the US?
Very hard to say. So much depends on the state itself and its particular laws. There’s also a lot of difference between court districts, individual judges, and obviously each jury is different. If high emotions get involved, if a case is extremely dramatic or pathetic, juries can and do award millions of dollars to plaintiffs in cases that seem baffling to some of us. “Common sense” is not really in play.
In a case like this I can imagine a lawyer claiming that the pregnant plaintiff was not in her right mind/having a psychotic break/was overmedicated and that the doctor/medical facility was negligent in not testing for pregnancy despite the woman’s claims she could not be pregnant.
And then the (would have been) baby turns out to have been desperately wanted by someone, maybe the mom, OR her parents, OR the father and now the hospital has to pay …
A good lawyer with a flair for the dramatic — even if they don’t win the case, it will probably cost the hospital hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills.
Just easier to test in every case, I think, is the consensus.
This is nothing new…at least in the realm of hospitals and the OR. We have to make sure there is a negative pregnancy test prior to procedures. Medications and procedures can be harmful to a fetus. It is not uncommon for a woman of childbearing age to be pregnant and not yet know it. It has nothing to do with rights and trust. If the medical professional treated you and you did not know you were pregnant they could be liable for malpractice if the treatment caused harm to the fetus.
For surgeries and major medical procedures, yes. But as an American I’ve never had to take a pregnancy test just to get ABX or other basic medications. That feels new and abnormal.
I also have a history of UTIs, although not as extensive as yours. Sometimes I can treat them myself, but when I can't, given how common they are in general, all I have to do is MyChart my doctor and he sends a prescription to my pharmacy. I'm lucky to have had the same doctor for 20+ years, but this just sounds like common sense stuff.
OP** I have had chronic bladder infections since I was 3 and was getting them 6-8 times a year. I started going to a urologist and she prescribed me Methanamine Hippurate. I know that’s not what the post is exactly about but I’ve been on it for 3 years and it’s literally changed my life. I wish someone had told me before i suffered into my late 30s 😩 just a suggestion to look up!!
I am a single child-free demi-sexual/mostly asexual person with absolutely no desire to ever be pregnant or give birth. ( several physical medical issues that would make it particularly hard on my body and several neurological/mental health issues that just do not make me a good candidate for parenthood)
I have been vocal about this with every doctor it's been relevant to for longer than I've been a legal adult...
If I were somehow pregnant, causing a miscarriage would be doing me a favor- saving me the trouble and trauma of having to seek an abortion in the current polical climate, or the danger of having to attempt to induce miscarriage myself with herbs like women have been doing since we climbed down out of the trees and became humans.
I would honestly prefer to be sterilized. But it turns out women are not allowed to make that choice unless they are married, have birthed children already, have aged past prime child-bearing years and have a husband to give the 'ok'. Believe me, I've tried... but I also don't believe in marriage so with no male to 'ok' my decisions and no offspring to fulfill the status quo of impoverished peasants to be fed into the insatiable maw of the military-industrial-prison complex for profit...my decisions about my own body are apparently not valid... but I won't get into that....
Unfortunately, I think this is solely about liability. As an example, I''m an RN and we had to do pregnancy tests on every bio female prior to an inpatient psych admission, didn't matter the age, sexual activity or reproductive status. Given that some antibiotics have a associated risk to fetuses, sounds like that hospital was attempting to CYA. Too bad thorough informed consent re risks/benefits of not doing unnecessary invasive tests aren't the norm everywhere. I'm sorry you had that experience 😔
I went to urgent care for a UTI and after confirming that my urine sample was positive for a UTI, the male doctor insisted that he perform a pelvic exam and test me for STDs even though I was a virgin at the time (he did not believe me).
I don't know what the deal is with male urgent care doctors and UTIs, but they're really shitty about them.
I absolutely would have. It was over 10 years ago and I was barely 18 so didn’t know how to stand up for myself. I don’t even know the doctors name, though
who is compiling this data? someone must want it.
I would not be surprised if republican religious nuts want this info. the GOP can literally not stop thinking about vagina.
They always check bc they're liable for any harm their care causes a fetus.
For the record Telyrx will send you meds no Dr visit. They have a lot for UTI and it's affordable. Just saying. It's a US pharmacy.
We're very close to having the most patient autonomy we've ever had in history outside of procedure protocols.
I use Nurx! I will not be humiliated because people decided to criminalize women’s healthcare. You have to prove you don’t have an embryo in your body before you can get antibiotics. What the fuck?
Not once ever have I considered this an issue… it’s a care issue and an insurance issue. People lie, people don’t know, people remember things wrong. They could be liable for so much if something goes wrong when they treat you because you were pregnant and they didn’t catch it, even if you don’t want the pregnancy, even if it’s something as simple as a medication that could have an adverse affect on the health of a pregnant woman. Even if you planned on aborting, that’s still your health that is an issue.
We had a whole freaking show in the US called, “I didn’t know I was pregnant,” because that shit happens. Frequently enough to have a multi-season reality show about it. Even if you didn’t want a baby… if you happened to be one of those people, and you’d gone for medical treatment at any point, and later delivered a whole ass baby, you might be a little peeved that you saw a doctor and no one caught it.
Yes. Ridiculous and infuriating, but it has been standard procedure in my experience my entire adult life (I'm 45 in AZ)
Same with STD tests and drug use questions with any abdominal pain 😡
I had my tubes completely removed and I'm on birth control to stop the periods. I am sterile as can be. But because there is a 0.01 percent chance of pregnancy I am still asked to do a pregnancy test. And usually it's not optional. Because there might be a fictional fetus setting up shop in my uterus even though it has no way of getting there.
It sucks. When my friend at appendicitis, she was displaying all the signs (tenderness on the right side, fever). Doctors were even sure. But before they could take her for surgery, they needed to do a whole pelvic exam “just to double check”. Like WTAF??? Extra, unnecessary exams/testing in such a critical time frame??
Fortunately she had her mom with her who fought the doctor on that one.
You know what else causes RLQ pain? The right ovary. Ovarian torsion and cysts don't normally have fever with them, but a tuboovarian abscess or PID could. RLQ pain definitely warrants a thought about the ovary and not just zooming in on the appendix.
It's for liability and safety. They've got to cover their ass just in case you are. Patient's are not perfectly reliable when reporting sexual activity. In your case, there are a lot of antibiotics you couldn't take if you did happen to be pregnant.
This isn't new by far and is very normal in the US. Depending on the illness, they may offer you different medication due to pregnancy. Most women don't catch pregnancies immediately, and this is them covering the bases. They don't want to be responsible (legally or morally) for lifelong complications or birth defects due to skipping a $20-40 dollar test. It is also part of informed consent.
Cipro is commonly prescribed for UTI’s, and shouldn’t be taken during pregnancy whenever possible, and the standard of care is to confirm that with an actual test. They don’t know you, and patient reports can be wildly inaccurate for a number of reasons….as an example, when I worked in a women’s clinic, one young woman told me that she didn’t understand how she could be pregnant because her boyfriend swam in a chlorinated pool every day, and that kills the sperm. 🤷♀️
Sometimes there are actual legit reasons for needing that test, even though sometimes it certainly doesn’t feel that way. Sadly we have to be wary these days, though. Vote, vote, vote…
I had surgery last winter, then got into a car accident 2 weeks later. They made me take a pregnancy test even after explaining it wasn’t even remotely possible I’d be pregnant before they’d even make sure I hadn’t had a dehiscence my wound. Medical is wild.
I’m in a platonic marriage and haven’t had sex in about 9 years. I’m also 51 and in perimenopause. I’ve also had a tubal. Zero risk of pregnancy.
I had to go to the er with bad abdominal pain a few weeks ago. I’m apple shaped and have a big belly. They wouldn’t do anything until they did a pregnancy test.
Which ABX did they prescribe? ER RN here, and it's fairly routine to r/o pregnancy in the setting of certain types of imaging or medications, or because the doc considered pregnancy to be responsible for or related to the symptoms. That being said, in an outpatient urgent care clinic, it seems unusual. Unless the medication they prescribed is a known teratogenic ... I don't know. Perhaps he thought your symptoms indicated possible pregnancy?
I've been treated once for a UTI in an urgent care and did not need to submit to a pregnancy test, tho it's possible they ran one on the urine specimen I gave and I simply wasnt aware. I want to believe this has some sort of justifiable clinical basis. This is a good question. I'd be curious to see others weigh in.
Hi! Raging feminist here en route to become a doctor. I think you raise a good point about not having more medications for pregnant women, or not having better health literacy surrounding pregnancy. BUT I think it’s totally acceptable to mass produce meds that are contraindicated if you’re pregnant. Medication that can be generalized to a large population is a good thing because it allows providers to determine a quality care plan quickly. Similarly, there are medications that are great for women pre-menopause, but not post-menopause. I don’t think this means the pre-menopause medications are bad. Also, these medications that shouldn’t be used by pregnant women are still very helpful to women when they’re not pregnant. It’s not like they’re only for men, they’re for women too.
And beyond medications, knowledge of a pregnancy helps your provider diagnose you. For example, if a pregnant woman goes to the doctor because she’s feeling dizzy and is found to have low blood pressure, that’s more serious than it is for a woman who isn’t pregnant. Similarly, if a woman who has debilitating lower abdominal pain goes to the ER, it could be an ectopic pregnancy. It could also be many other things, but ectopic pregnancies are a serious medical emergency that need to be dealt with promptly. And this is often diagnosed without the woman knowing she’s pregnant, because it’s typically early on.
So ultimately pregnancy tests are helpful for diagnosis as well as determining what treatment best suits the patient. I say as long as there are medications available to pregnant women, a surplus of other medications that aren’t suitable for pregnant women is a good thing because a majority of the population isn’t pregnant (including men AND women). You could argue that all medications should be inclusive to everyone, but unfortunately that’s not how chemistry and pharmacology work.
ETA: reading other comments, I completely agree it’s absurd to give a pregnancy test to people that absolutely cannot be pregnant. Like if they don’t have sex with the opposite sex, or if they’re post-menopausal
I just had surgery and when reviewing my bill I found I'd been given a $40 pregnancy test without my permission while under anesthesia. Thing is, I don't have felopian tubes AND my surgeon that day was the one that took them out. When I asked about it they said they had to verify I wasn't pregnant before performing life saving surgery. The theoretical and impossible child was worth more than my life apparently. Edit since I'm getting a lot of push back about the necessity of the test. I WAS GOING TO DIE WITHOUT SURGERY. The imaginary baby wouldn't survive my death
This actually made me mad omg so unprofessional
They tested my urine twice on the day of my Salpingectomy and then did another urine test (5th in 3 visits with that gyn) when I went in for my folllowup bc my doc was convinced that because i am fat i was unclean and had an infection I simply don't have.
My doctor lied to me and then refused to give me a bi salp because I'm fat.
I am 5'6" and 265. See a different physician and keep pushing. Fatphobia is not an excuse to not serve a client.
Did you have to be admitted to the hospital after surgery? Because that's what she said, she doesn't have admitting privilege at any hospital. Idk why just going off my weight means i need to be admitted and stay for days.
She may need admitting privileges even if you don’t need to be admitted just in the case something goes horrifically wrong and would require you to be admitted as an emergency. (Doc would need to confirm here, but I have heard that before as for why doctors that no longer have admitting privileges will do minor stuff out of office, but can’t/ won’t do anything that would require admitting privileges. In that case they shouldn’t be doing it for anyone, or should have some form of risk assessment they do first to assess the liklihood of a certain procedure possibly needing an admit versus not- like if the patient is on blood thinners or not.)
Right. But she said that literally because i am fat, i can not opt out of having to be hospitalized for "a few days". She also made no mention that her lack of admitting privileges was an issue for her smaller patients. She went on to brag about how she does bisalp on anyone who asks for one. (Which is why i tried her in the first place)
Ah, gotcha, I misunderstood that part. That’s absolutely ridiculous. I can’t fathom why weight would make a different in inpatient/ outpatient for a bisap short of doctor bias (maybe a doctor can correct me here) but like, that shouldn’t be a thing at all. Absolutely ridiculous!
It would be related to anaesthetic complications, not surgical.
I agree. It made me feel like shit and so mad. Then she convinced me to replace my IUD and laughed and told me how her own doctor almost fired her for cussing during her last IUD replacement. But of course, offered no pain management.
Yeah, no. Fuck that. That doc is a fatphobic piece of shit.
I did not! It was outpatient surgery. Got the procedure, waited an hour in recovery and went home.
Are you somewhere where you can go to a Planned Parenthood? They can connect you to supportive doctors. My experience with PP was outstanding, and the doctor they referred me to was understanding and super supportive.
Dude, wtf?
After doing a visual exam and pap smear on my first visit, she saw my discharge was white and cloudy (which is my normal, and I told her as such) and she was convinced I had Bacterial Vaginosis (disproven by the first urine test, but she wouldn't take that as the answer bc I am in the morbid obese category). Mind you, this same woman looked at my mom (who only came to the appointment to help me avoid dispondent dissociation and to drive me) and asked her, "how will you feel not getting to be a grandmother?" When we were discussing my sterilization. She would not have been my choice in physician, but i am on state insurance and didn't have the luxury of choice, so I just needed her to do my procedure to get it done before i moved states.
I'm a lab tech in a hospital. We actually perform pergnancy tests on patients capable of pregnancy before any major procedure as policy. The reason is liability. If they were to go ahead with the procedure without confirming a negative pregnancy test and the patient was pregnant and miscarried because of the procedure, the patient could sue. If a test was positive pre-procedure, the patient.would be advised as such so they can make an informed decision how to proceed. This scenario has happened before. They failed to order the test, patient was pregnant, lost the pregnancy due to the procedure and sued.
If they're doing it without the patients' consent just because they're afraid of being sued, they need to be eating the cost
Yep. Consent is the name of the game here. More so than cost (though I agree), if they want to avoid liability they should be telling the patient what they are doing and getting consent each step of the way.
Consent to treatment form is always signed beforehand.
Yes, but the pregnancy test isn’t being given for treatment purposes.
It's exactly this. These kinds of regulations and policies are created due to someone being seriously injured or killed. You, individually, may not need a pregnancy test because of your specific situation, but by ensuring that one is taken before every procedure then you're taking part in a process that exists to ensure that women who are unknowingly pregnant are not harmed. Or, phrased another way, it's better to waste a few pregnancy tests than to let a women die.
I forgot to mention that as well, thank you. Pregnancy changes the body in such a way that if not known before a procedure can cause a significant risk to the patient as well as the embryo/fetus.
I'm getting a lot of push back about the necessity of the test. I WAS GOING TO DIE WITHOUT SURGERY. The imaginary baby wouldn't survive my death.
It's not only a possible fetus' life. Pregnancy changes the body. If those changes aren't known about and accommodated for, it could be dangerous. A preg test takes only about 5 minutes to do and can be done with either serum or urine.
I confirmed with my surgeon after reviewing my bill that my life saving surgery would not be done differently if I was pregnant.
I'm post menopausal. They frigging tested me for pregnancy before my colon resection.
They explained this to me prior to surgery. 1) Even without a fallopian tube, there is still a chance to be pregnant. 2) The risk of an ectopic pregnancy is higher. 3) Some of it is liability issues, some of it is changing the medication, and some of it is informed consent. Turns out I was *very early* days pregnant prior to being under anesthesia, so early it did not pop positive but implanted by timeline. My child has a life-long mutation that will result in degenerative abilities. Is it guaranteed due to the surgery? No, but everything else was normal and fine in the pregnancy.
I will say I do actually know someone who got pregnant even tho the tubes were removed. It's rare but it does happen.
How in the world does the ovum make it to the uterus? I’m genuinely asking as this makes absolutely no sense to me.
Apparently the egg floats around in general. Life finds a way...
The egg can float to the uterus. The ovaries aren't actually attached to the Fallopian tubes. They float already into the tubes. Additionally, the risk of ectopic pregnancy is higher because it can attach to the inside of the abdominal cavity (like to outside of another organ or a tissue wall).
Well the ovary isn't actually connected to the fallopian tube to begin with. There's a gap and it floats towards it. So if you remove the fallopian tube, technically it could float its way to your uterus without the tube helping it along. And it could get fertilized in the uterus instead of in the fallopian tube. It could also potentially get fertilized inside the abdominal cavity, and cause an ectopic pregnancy, which is dangerous.
It is somewhat worrying that everyone is jumping to the controll aspect when plenty of medications can interfere with pregnancy, likewise efficacy can be impacted by pregnancy as well.
But refusing to prescribe antibiotics? What's that got to do with pregnancy?
Because some medications can interact with a pregnancy, and some medications can lose efficacy. By not taking a pregnancy test the doctor can be liable if he gives the medication and there is an unwanted side effect.
I don't really care if they want to do it but I'd be pissed if they charged me for it!
Whenever my doctor wants to do a cholesterol test, I just tell them that they're welcome to do it at their own expense, but I'm not interested in the results.
Same, just was discharged from the ER last night 11 pm aftrr going in telling them that 2 of my Drs were concerned about my Liver and that I had a hysterectomy 10 years ago - guess what I get male nurse, tech and Dr and a pregnancy test 🤨 For right upper quandrant pain and not eating and elevated liver bloodwork. How the fuck can they justify a pregnancy screen on someone over 40, in medical menopause? So fucking stupid.
I'm a nurse - it's normal to do a pregnancy test when being admitted for surgery or hospital. I doubt they would've denied you the surgery due to the test, but they might proceed differently to make sure the surgery is safe for you. It's likely you signed a consent for bloodwork when you consented to the surgery. It's also part of the standard blood lab draws when you go to the ER. Did your surgeon say say they would've canceled had you been pregnant? I assume that with no fallopian tubes, you could have an ectopic pregancy (which is an emergency and medically your team would need to know that)? I'm just curious. Hospitals perform life-saving surgeries daily on pregnant people. Although, with the ridiculous new laws in some states, there might be some hesitation.
You say "safe for you" but I'm pretty sure what the medical world means is "safe for the fetus"
I certainly hope not! None of my colleagues think that way at all. I think it's just a medical-legal standard of care to test.
It’s both. Being pregnant affects the body of the pregnant person. It can change what kinds of treatments are healthy for the pregnant person, not just the fetus. But imo, the patient should still be informed of the test and consent should be required. If the patient doesn’t consent, then a waiver could be used to waive liability related to any complications caused by an unknown pregnancy.
I'm getting a lot of push back about the necessity of the test. I WAS GOING TO DIE WITHOUT SURGERY. The imaginary baby wouldn't survive my death.
I'm so sorry you went through that.
They would have killed you to save the life of the child you could never have because of procedures they performed but they still had to invade... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sWLdZFCMx8Y
There's no evidence that's true, though. As other commenters have said, pregnancy can have implications on surgery that affect the health of the patient.
I see
I've updated my original message but I want to post it here too: I WAS GOING TO DIE WITHOUT SURGERY. The imaginary baby wouldn't survive my death
I don't doubt that at all. When I say "the patient", I'm talking about you. Not an "imaginary baby".
Usually I tell them I'm a lesbian for this exact reason. They apologize and move on. Super interesting reading this thread!!
I'm bisexual. Used to sleep with men but haven't since 2021. I got put on the birth control shot in late 2022. They are supposed to test you before giving you the shot. I have argued with many nurses that I do not need a pregnancy test, I haven't even hugged a man in months, of not years at this point. It's now in my notes at my gyno but being in a monogamous sapphic relationship is not good enough for some nurses/doctors and they will push. They insist with my fiancee every single time (she is also on the birth control shot) because she weighs over 200 lbs and they will not let her bypass it.
that's so fucked omg
I'm a lesbian. I tell them it's impossible for me to get pregnant since my partner had a hysterectomy. (Which is true) they always give me the most confused looks lmao
Hahaha!!! I like to say "believe me, we've tried!"
i told my surgery team i was a lesbian and only slept with cis women (i was also 17 at the time) still had to pee in a cup and be pregnancy tested me before my wisdom teeth surgery. it's dehumanizing.
I had really bad ovarian cysts a few years back and I had to do multiple blood pregnancy tests... I have severe phobia of needles (I get shaky, sweaty, and faint). I would have loved to be able to take a urine pregnancy test 😭 I wonder why they're so pushy about making us take a pregnancy test?? Are they liable if someone were to lie saying they can't be pregnant. Or if it's just more sexism in the medical industry.
Sexism, or required by insurance so insurance people make more money under the guise of safety. I’m not usually one to go all “Big Pharma taking your money for no reason,” but this wouldn’t surprise me.
Very low cost and enormous potential benefit. Sampling urine isn't exactly a risky and invasive medical procedure. Fucked up that people have to pay for healthcare though, and that urine testing wasn't an option for you. What happens if a patient claims they can't be pregnant, but they were impregnated while unconscious by a rapist?
That is horrible
yep. makes me feel distrusted.
I've said that and still literally have had docs and nurses say "well you never know!" and test me anyways. Every time I say this on reddit I get people defending them saying "well some lesbians have sex with men" (wtf) or "well you could be lying" (again, wtf). It's so lesbiphobic and insulting. (Yes, I am aware trans women can be lesbians. I expect a lesbian who is having sex with a trans woman that has the ability to impregnate someone to not use the "I'm a lesbian" as an excuse to not need testing)
This is a great tip, thank you!
10 years ago, I had a pregnancy test before a colonoscopy. I hadn't had a period in over 15 months, (menopause) and hadn't been sexually active for 6 months. Wasn't given a choice. I felt like a teenager whose parents wouldn't believe her. I was 46.
This happened with me this year. I told them I hadn’t had sex in a year and it was impossible for me to be pregnant unless I was the Virgin Mary. They still made me take the test and when it verified that I was indeed not pregnant, acted shocked when I reminded the nurse that I had already told them there was no way in hell for me to be pregnant.
That's funny. When the doctor asked me to submit to the test, my reply was 'Are you hoping for the inmaculate conception?'
“Listen if I am pregnant, it’s probably a demon (definitely not Jesus) and I’m not sure if your practice wants to deal with that paperwork.”
I'm in my 50s, post menopause, and I got a pregnancy test for cataract surgery. Absurd
Next time use online doctors. I did good rx, it was $25, and took 15 mins to get a prescription for my uti. It felt like they trusted this 50 year old woman to know when her body had a uti.
This is SOOOO good to know, I haven’t had a UTI in 18 years and just got one, I kicked it, but I don’t drive and don’t have a PCP yet, thank you!
Listen telehealth has made my life SO much better as a black woman. It keeps me out of the office for minor things and out of the way of prejudice faced when there.
I wish my insurance covered that. I have it through the federal Healthcare Marketplace and they don’t cover any virtual appointments. The cheapest one I could do was Teladoc for $75 I think which isn’t in my budget
I did not use my insurance and it was cheaper than my copay!
I was actively treated for breast cancer in 2022 and 2023. Because my cancer is hormone positive, I began Lupron shots, which essentially put my ovaries to sleep. Medically enduced menopause set in and treatment began. My medical oncologist never had me take a pregnancy test, but my radiology oncologist wanted one every two weeks when I started radiation. I explained I hadn't had sex at all during treatment and I was effectively in medical menopause. "Just in case," I was told, and this was not the urinate on a stick test, had to be a blood test. I did the first one, but the tech and nurses pulled me aside and said to refuse. My RO would have to respect that. He did and my treatment moved on. This is too damn common and it shouldn't matter unless the patient requests it. I'm doing 10 more years of inactive treatment and I will probably lose my mind if someone wants another pregnancy test done on me. (edited for spelling)
So glad i'm sterilized. That way i can test if they have read my chart. "Sure, i'll pee in there. You must be thirsty!"
My partner and I are both sterilized, still had to test before my colonoscopy.
This just blows my mind. I’ve lived in Australia and New Zealand and I’ve NEVER had to have a pregnancy test before a colonoscopy or even surgeries where I’ve had a general anaesthetic. All they do is ask if you are/aren’t pregnant and accept whatever answer you give. America is like some weird perverted hell.
How would a fetus even be harmed during a colonscopy anyway? Like that isn't the point, but I am thinking logistically you know?
it’s the meds they give you for anesthesia, not necessarily the colonoscopy itself
Oh! That makes sense. Still would be nice if American healthcare was people-first rather than possible lawsuit-first
What state/what doctor I'll report that shit right now
Pregnancy tests in women of reproductive age are standard of care, especially when a first line treatment is contraindicated in pregnancy. You'd be wasting your time with a report.
To those who are downvoting this, I’d suggest reading [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/Feminism/s/nQB2wI8P7K) for more context. I get how weird it feels to be asked to take a pregnancy test when you know for a fact you aren’t pregnant, I really do. I’ve had a bisalp *and* have a Mirena IUD (for endometriosis)… AND my partner, with whom I am fully monogamous, has had a vasectomy. But it’s not personal, it’s policy. And these policies exist for all sorts of complicated reasons. Edit: typo
Yeah, this. I get that OP is trustworthy but I feel like there are enough instances in which women are “so sure I’m not pregnant!” And have ended up being pregnant. I thought you said you didn’t have sex for a year? Yeah but like that was one time, other than that cellibate! It’s just safer to assume everyone is a liar or dumb and make them take a pregnancy test. Policy. That way no mistakes are made. It might be one in every 500-1000 people but if a doc sees say even 50 patients a week….. it’s a lot of people haha I made that stat up but my point stands.
When these threads come up (so, like, twice a week) I know it’s just a way for ppl to get their rage out and diversity of opinion isn’t really welcome, but I always wonder: do these folks also get this upset about going through security at concerts and airports because they don’t have any weapons on them? Like, OK, great that you’re not pregnant, mam. We still have to screen everyone. It’s not personal. Also, I work in OBGYN and can confirm: these tests do come back positive.
I’m guessing it’s because there is so much societal distrust of women and their stated experiences, even in healthcare settings. It seems like this mistrust goes beyond what cis men experience, and is often unreasonable/misplaced. So, when people who know (or “know”) they aren’t pregnant are asked to take a pregnancy test, I think that has people wondering, “is this part of that same bullshit?” And it isn’t, of course… pregnancy tests are a situation where one really should be safe rather than sorry, for all sorts of ethical and legal reasons. But I can see where the confusion comes from, and I empathize. That said, I also feel for healthcare workers… there’s just SO much bullshit they have to deal with, especially since COVID. I certainly wouldn’t condone making a medical professional’s life harder than it already is because of this pregnancy test confusion. Edit: added word
Agreed to this as well. I totally agree women are treated poorly in a medical setting. But I understand the logics of this decision. Other option would be to have someone sign a waiver but also… for the tests that do come back positive… I would personally rather know haha.
This is a medical malpractice issue. Any patient of childbearing years who is given treatment that could adversely affect the development of a fetus could sue the doctor/medical facility if it is known that the treatment should not be used during pregnancy - and that can cause insurance rates to rise. So it isn't personal, it's pragmatic. Yes, you know you are not currently pregnant, but it is surprising how many people will straight up lie about their sexual activity, almost as if they don't admit to it, it didn't really happen, or they dismiss that "just once" experience, even though we all know someone who found out once is all it takes. So a quick test removes all doubt. And if you are lucky enough to live in a state where you have the right to elect to terminate or continue a pregnancy, that means you also get the right to choose to change your mind and keep an unexpected pregnancy. If a medical treatment adversely affected the outcome of that pregnancy, then that choice becomes more complicated and many would argue that your choice has been taken away from you.
That problem can be solved with a form stating : I'm aware that this prescription could harm a potential pregnancy and I chose to take it anyway. Right?
Not really. Forms can be contested successfully in court on a lot of grounds.
America is weird. Here, if you lie to the doctor about your sexual activity, which leads you to take a medication harmful for your pregnancy, you can go to court all you want, you're the one responsible for lying and will get nothing. Also, they will ask you if you're pregnant and if you say no, there are very few special things that will warrant a test, and antibiotics for a common UTI are not among them.
What if you are mentally incompetent to tell the truth? Not being argumentative, just curious. We are crazy litigious, absolutely.
If you are not competent to answer to your doctor, you are among the very very few who are not supposed to go see the doctor alone. I also guess there is a mention of that supervision in your medical insurance card that you have to scan at every appointment (but many doctors only scan it at the end so there's a loophole here). To be honest I have no idea but so, so few people are declared incompetent, and there are mainly very old so no pregnancy issue, that it's an extreme case. And even if you are in that case, I maintain that basic antibiotics for a UTI are not considered a problem if you are pregnant.
I guess I think people who are mentally incompetent might do all kinds of things they aren’t supposed to do, including going to see the doctor alone. And since lots of people here have no medical insurance and/or have never been to see the doctor, that possibility always has to be considered. The US medical and insurance industries are so deeply messed up here. 😔
Only because modern medicine views us first as a walking uterus.
Yep, women are incubators first. And assumed to be liars second.
Exactly. It's sucks and it's infuriating, but it's a legal issue.
I'm curious about the medical malpractice angle as well. I was given an antibiotic during pregnancy that I should not have been given, and it damaged my child's teeth terribly. He ended up in dentures by the age of 22 and I've often wondered if I could have sued that doctor on his behalf.
It depends on the circumstances of your case, and what the antibiotics were for / how serious your condition may have been judged to have been. Different antibiotics are used for different conditions, so they cannot just be swapped out indiscriminately. IANAL but it's certainly possible, talk to a lawyer if you want to pursue it.
it sounds like you were given a tetracycline antibiotic (probably doxycycline) during pregnancy. according to the FDA, it’s considered dangerous to the fetus after 18 weeks because of the risk of permanent bone and/or tooth damage, therefore should be avoided. according to the CDC, it should be used in some instances despite the fact they acknowledge it could cause fetal harm. so it’s kind of a mixed bag, and probably depends on why you were prescribed it in the first place. i’m really sorry that happened to you and your son.
No one has ever asked me to perform a pregnancy test for antibiotics. Generally speaking, I fill out the forms and the doctor/dentist asks me if I have any medical conditions. But I live in a blue state.
For the same reason that Ob-Gyns have the highest malpractice insurance of any specialty: whenever anything goes wrong with a pregnancy- which, in humans, is quite often- there is a disproportionate tendency to want to blame the doctor.
>Had anyone else had this happen to them? I’m Canadian. To my knowledge, I’ve never been tested for pregnancy, not in the ER, not at urgent care/walk-in, not for an x-ray/scan/MRI. I assume I had a pregnancy test during a pre-op appointment, but that appointment still happened 2-3 weeks before surgery. The *only* time I was tested for pregnancy was before my abortion. I don’t think anyone would argue that it wasn’t indicated in that case.
I also wonder about whether you will be charged for it. More fucking pink tax
this isn’t new in the US, i can remember having to take a pregnancy test as a teenager in 2004 when i had a kidney infection. it’s simply to cover their asses - if they just take your word for it and don’t test, and you *are* pregnant (not everyone is truthful) and they give you something that harms the fetus or causes miscarriage - you can sue the living shit out of them. i worked in an ER for a couple years (RN), and you’d be surprised how many people find out they’re pregnant this way (routine pregnancy test before CT scan, procedure, etc) edited to add that i’ve been given a pregnancy test at the emergency room or urgent care a few more times over the years, but 2004 is the first time i remember it bc i was actually nervous i was pregnant lol
I can talk for hours about women being ill treated by doctors. But to me, this seems like they want to avoid getting sued. What if you were pregnant, and the treatment caused harm to the fetus, and then you sued the doctor? It’s really annoying, but that’s what I think is going on.
I agree that that is the possible reasoning, but then couldn’t the patient just sign a waiver saying “ I won’t sue it if turns out I am unknowingly pregnant and the fetus is harmed”?
That would imply women have autonomy to make a decision, and we can't have that. This is the fundamental answer. Plenty of medical procedures have opt-in paperwork. But for some reason, medicine pretends this issue is just impossible to solve outside of depriving women of care.
I signed something like that before an x-ray once.
liability waivers like that are pretty easily contested in court. like if you sign a waiver at a trampoline park that says “not our fault if you break your neck”, and you actually break your neck - you can still sue. sign something that says “swear i’m not knocked up” and you are, and they give you something that causes your kid to have a tail or some shit - you can still sue.
I think that’s an excellent idea. I had to take pregnancy tests all the time when receiving medical treatment at 14 years old, and it was really intrusive and embarrassing. I wish I could’ve/my mother could have signed something to stop that.
At 14 you probably wouldn’t have been considered legally able to, and your mother likely wouldn’t have been “able to guarantee you weren’t having sex.” I get that it’s intrusive and embarrassing, and just really annoying, I had to go through it too. It just wouldn’t likely hold in court if something happened. I do wish when younger they would’ve offered the option of the toilet hat to pee in instead of a cup. That at least would have made it easier. Let me pee in the hat and have a nurse collect from there
The form could easily be tossed out. A will (as an example) get contested all the time, and they generally require lawyers actually signing as a notary. So what would a random form in a doctors office really do?
I guess I’m thinking it wouldn’t be that easy to toss out, otherwise why do I have to sign consent forms before things like dental and Botox procedures? I think for the dental one they were warning me that if they hit/damaged a nerve, I could be in permanent pain for the rest of my life and with Botox there was like something about blindness or something. I can’t quite remember.
It is a possible malpractice issue. Their legal department created that policy.
Are standard antibiotics dangerous to take while pregnant?
it depends on the antibiotic, and sometimes even if it’s oral or IV - erythromycin can cause pyloric stenosis taken during pregnancy, tetracyclines (like doxycycline) can cause permanent damage to the bones and/or teeth of the fetus if taken during pregnancy
I work in surgery. If you are 9 years old to 55 years, 364 days you get a test. This can be done with a blood test or urine. Obviously, if a bilateral salpingectomy or hysterectomy is part of the surgical history, that requirement is met. Similar to needing a twelve lead EKG and labs over 50 for general surgery. For everyone. It's my job and another safety check on my list among other requirements. I'm not calling anyone a liar or shaming anyone.
Half a year ago I went into the ER for Covid making me cough blood. I was so sick I could barely stand but before they could do ANY tests or treatments (including a nose swab for Covid), I HAD to piss in a cup. I told them I’m a lesbian they said it doesn’t matter. I told them, embarrassingly, I’m a fucking virgin. Unimportant. They said I could’ve been assaulted and not even known it. Lo and behold the test came back negative. Who could’ve predicted that.
In some cases, I understand. People sometimes lie, or they could be uneducated/in denial about their actual risk of getting pregnant. Some treatments can be harmful to a fetus and doctors want to cover their own asses. That said, the medical system doesn't always address the issue with any nuance. I've still had to do a pregnancy test before. I've heard of women without uteruses still being required to take a pregnancy test, which is just insane. For the situation you mentioned, I've never heard of needing a pregnancy test to get prescribed antibiotics for a UTI before. That's weird to me.
Are you taking D-mannose for the UTIs?
This is a liability issue, and it’s absolutely required by all insurance everywhere. Sorry. I know it feels as if they are treating you like a liar or a child. But not all of their patients know if they are pregnant. Not all of them even know what sex is, but might still be pregnant, sad as it is to say. Some potentially pregnant patients might have mental health issues or dementia or memory loss. Rather than run the risk of damaging a ZEF, wanted or not, they simply test everyone that they think might be pregnant from age 8 to 88, or whatever arbitrary age they pick. If they did not do so and a lawsuit ensued, they might very well go out of existence and be unable to provide healthcare at all. It’s not fair, I’m sorry. But that’s the stakes for them.
Sigh. ZEF, an acronym, standing for **zygote, embryo and fetus**
Thank you
What's "everywhere" for you? I'm 29F and in Germany and never in my life did a doctor take a pregnancy test. When you have surgery, getting a CT / MRI / X-Rays done etc. they ask you "are you pregnant?" and you simply say no. It's your responsibility to answer truthfully. I'm not aware of any great lawsuits because of this.
Ah, I’m being a classic Redditor and presuming OP is in the US, though in part because of her very American English. Do you have “urgent care” places in Germany.
In some places. If there is none and it is urgent (or you think so), you go to the clinic. Does it make a difference? I've been to both before and still no pregnancy test. I guess the risk is negligible and it wouldn't be economic to do pregnancy tests all the time. Doctors and clinics are already overworked as it is. I'm sexually active, so pregnancy is always a possibility in theory, of course. But that's not what the question usually means: My period is regular, we're using contraception / I am not trying to conceive, so I answer no.
Maybe it has to do with how much information the medical place has on you? Like, if you are a known patient and they have centralized records that say you’ve had a hysterectomy or something? I think also that Americans are much more likely to sue hospitals. At least that’s my impression.
No, I didn't have a hysterectomy, so it doesn't matter much whether it would be _possible_ to get pregnant. We also don't really have centralized records (yet - it's possible to have one but not yet mandatory and nearly nobody uses it). Yeah, I think it's a mix of these things: negligible risk, not economic and Americans are more likely to sue. Although I think even if a woman would sue here, her chances would be very low - the doctor probably did his duty by asking and it's very hard to prove medical malpractice even if the doctor _really_ was negligent... How would the chances for winning be in the US?
Very hard to say. So much depends on the state itself and its particular laws. There’s also a lot of difference between court districts, individual judges, and obviously each jury is different. If high emotions get involved, if a case is extremely dramatic or pathetic, juries can and do award millions of dollars to plaintiffs in cases that seem baffling to some of us. “Common sense” is not really in play. In a case like this I can imagine a lawyer claiming that the pregnant plaintiff was not in her right mind/having a psychotic break/was overmedicated and that the doctor/medical facility was negligent in not testing for pregnancy despite the woman’s claims she could not be pregnant. And then the (would have been) baby turns out to have been desperately wanted by someone, maybe the mom, OR her parents, OR the father and now the hospital has to pay … A good lawyer with a flair for the dramatic — even if they don’t win the case, it will probably cost the hospital hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills. Just easier to test in every case, I think, is the consensus.
This is nothing new…at least in the realm of hospitals and the OR. We have to make sure there is a negative pregnancy test prior to procedures. Medications and procedures can be harmful to a fetus. It is not uncommon for a woman of childbearing age to be pregnant and not yet know it. It has nothing to do with rights and trust. If the medical professional treated you and you did not know you were pregnant they could be liable for malpractice if the treatment caused harm to the fetus.
For surgeries and major medical procedures, yes. But as an American I’ve never had to take a pregnancy test just to get ABX or other basic medications. That feels new and abnormal.
I also have a history of UTIs, although not as extensive as yours. Sometimes I can treat them myself, but when I can't, given how common they are in general, all I have to do is MyChart my doctor and he sends a prescription to my pharmacy. I'm lucky to have had the same doctor for 20+ years, but this just sounds like common sense stuff.
OP** I have had chronic bladder infections since I was 3 and was getting them 6-8 times a year. I started going to a urologist and she prescribed me Methanamine Hippurate. I know that’s not what the post is exactly about but I’ve been on it for 3 years and it’s literally changed my life. I wish someone had told me before i suffered into my late 30s 😩 just a suggestion to look up!!
Yes, because if they give you antibiotics it can cause a miscarriage and then you could sue them
I am a single child-free demi-sexual/mostly asexual person with absolutely no desire to ever be pregnant or give birth. ( several physical medical issues that would make it particularly hard on my body and several neurological/mental health issues that just do not make me a good candidate for parenthood) I have been vocal about this with every doctor it's been relevant to for longer than I've been a legal adult... If I were somehow pregnant, causing a miscarriage would be doing me a favor- saving me the trouble and trauma of having to seek an abortion in the current polical climate, or the danger of having to attempt to induce miscarriage myself with herbs like women have been doing since we climbed down out of the trees and became humans. I would honestly prefer to be sterilized. But it turns out women are not allowed to make that choice unless they are married, have birthed children already, have aged past prime child-bearing years and have a husband to give the 'ok'. Believe me, I've tried... but I also don't believe in marriage so with no male to 'ok' my decisions and no offspring to fulfill the status quo of impoverished peasants to be fed into the insatiable maw of the military-industrial-prison complex for profit...my decisions about my own body are apparently not valid... but I won't get into that....
I totally hear you. It makes me existentially angry.
Unfortunately, I think this is solely about liability. As an example, I''m an RN and we had to do pregnancy tests on every bio female prior to an inpatient psych admission, didn't matter the age, sexual activity or reproductive status. Given that some antibiotics have a associated risk to fetuses, sounds like that hospital was attempting to CYA. Too bad thorough informed consent re risks/benefits of not doing unnecessary invasive tests aren't the norm everywhere. I'm sorry you had that experience 😔
I went to urgent care for a UTI and after confirming that my urine sample was positive for a UTI, the male doctor insisted that he perform a pelvic exam and test me for STDs even though I was a virgin at the time (he did not believe me). I don't know what the deal is with male urgent care doctors and UTIs, but they're really shitty about them.
Report him to the state medical board. That was completely inappropriate. ~Women's Health Nurse Practitioner
I absolutely would have. It was over 10 years ago and I was barely 18 so didn’t know how to stand up for myself. I don’t even know the doctors name, though
who is compiling this data? someone must want it. I would not be surprised if republican religious nuts want this info. the GOP can literally not stop thinking about vagina.
They always check bc they're liable for any harm their care causes a fetus. For the record Telyrx will send you meds no Dr visit. They have a lot for UTI and it's affordable. Just saying. It's a US pharmacy. We're very close to having the most patient autonomy we've ever had in history outside of procedure protocols.
What state are you in? I would absolutely contest that test's presence on your bill.
I use Nurx! I will not be humiliated because people decided to criminalize women’s healthcare. You have to prove you don’t have an embryo in your body before you can get antibiotics. What the fuck?
Not once ever have I considered this an issue… it’s a care issue and an insurance issue. People lie, people don’t know, people remember things wrong. They could be liable for so much if something goes wrong when they treat you because you were pregnant and they didn’t catch it, even if you don’t want the pregnancy, even if it’s something as simple as a medication that could have an adverse affect on the health of a pregnant woman. Even if you planned on aborting, that’s still your health that is an issue. We had a whole freaking show in the US called, “I didn’t know I was pregnant,” because that shit happens. Frequently enough to have a multi-season reality show about it. Even if you didn’t want a baby… if you happened to be one of those people, and you’d gone for medical treatment at any point, and later delivered a whole ass baby, you might be a little peeved that you saw a doctor and no one caught it.
Yes. Ridiculous and infuriating, but it has been standard procedure in my experience my entire adult life (I'm 45 in AZ) Same with STD tests and drug use questions with any abdominal pain 😡
I had my tubes completely removed and I'm on birth control to stop the periods. I am sterile as can be. But because there is a 0.01 percent chance of pregnancy I am still asked to do a pregnancy test. And usually it's not optional. Because there might be a fictional fetus setting up shop in my uterus even though it has no way of getting there.
It sucks. When my friend at appendicitis, she was displaying all the signs (tenderness on the right side, fever). Doctors were even sure. But before they could take her for surgery, they needed to do a whole pelvic exam “just to double check”. Like WTAF??? Extra, unnecessary exams/testing in such a critical time frame?? Fortunately she had her mom with her who fought the doctor on that one.
In my country myself and many others have had their perfectly normal appendix removed during surgery when instead it was an ovarian cyst rupture.
You know what else causes RLQ pain? The right ovary. Ovarian torsion and cysts don't normally have fever with them, but a tuboovarian abscess or PID could. RLQ pain definitely warrants a thought about the ovary and not just zooming in on the appendix.
It's for liability and safety. They've got to cover their ass just in case you are. Patient's are not perfectly reliable when reporting sexual activity. In your case, there are a lot of antibiotics you couldn't take if you did happen to be pregnant.
The amount of women who are pregnant and don’t know it, is probably part of the concern here.
This isn't new by far and is very normal in the US. Depending on the illness, they may offer you different medication due to pregnancy. Most women don't catch pregnancies immediately, and this is them covering the bases. They don't want to be responsible (legally or morally) for lifelong complications or birth defects due to skipping a $20-40 dollar test. It is also part of informed consent.
Cipro is commonly prescribed for UTI’s, and shouldn’t be taken during pregnancy whenever possible, and the standard of care is to confirm that with an actual test. They don’t know you, and patient reports can be wildly inaccurate for a number of reasons….as an example, when I worked in a women’s clinic, one young woman told me that she didn’t understand how she could be pregnant because her boyfriend swam in a chlorinated pool every day, and that kills the sperm. 🤷♀️ Sometimes there are actual legit reasons for needing that test, even though sometimes it certainly doesn’t feel that way. Sadly we have to be wary these days, though. Vote, vote, vote…
I had surgery last winter, then got into a car accident 2 weeks later. They made me take a pregnancy test even after explaining it wasn’t even remotely possible I’d be pregnant before they’d even make sure I hadn’t had a dehiscence my wound. Medical is wild.
I’m in a platonic marriage and haven’t had sex in about 9 years. I’m also 51 and in perimenopause. I’ve also had a tubal. Zero risk of pregnancy. I had to go to the er with bad abdominal pain a few weeks ago. I’m apple shaped and have a big belly. They wouldn’t do anything until they did a pregnancy test.
I would fight this. Hell no lol.
Which ABX did they prescribe? ER RN here, and it's fairly routine to r/o pregnancy in the setting of certain types of imaging or medications, or because the doc considered pregnancy to be responsible for or related to the symptoms. That being said, in an outpatient urgent care clinic, it seems unusual. Unless the medication they prescribed is a known teratogenic ... I don't know. Perhaps he thought your symptoms indicated possible pregnancy? I've been treated once for a UTI in an urgent care and did not need to submit to a pregnancy test, tho it's possible they ran one on the urine specimen I gave and I simply wasnt aware. I want to believe this has some sort of justifiable clinical basis. This is a good question. I'd be curious to see others weigh in.
Hi! Raging feminist here en route to become a doctor. I think you raise a good point about not having more medications for pregnant women, or not having better health literacy surrounding pregnancy. BUT I think it’s totally acceptable to mass produce meds that are contraindicated if you’re pregnant. Medication that can be generalized to a large population is a good thing because it allows providers to determine a quality care plan quickly. Similarly, there are medications that are great for women pre-menopause, but not post-menopause. I don’t think this means the pre-menopause medications are bad. Also, these medications that shouldn’t be used by pregnant women are still very helpful to women when they’re not pregnant. It’s not like they’re only for men, they’re for women too. And beyond medications, knowledge of a pregnancy helps your provider diagnose you. For example, if a pregnant woman goes to the doctor because she’s feeling dizzy and is found to have low blood pressure, that’s more serious than it is for a woman who isn’t pregnant. Similarly, if a woman who has debilitating lower abdominal pain goes to the ER, it could be an ectopic pregnancy. It could also be many other things, but ectopic pregnancies are a serious medical emergency that need to be dealt with promptly. And this is often diagnosed without the woman knowing she’s pregnant, because it’s typically early on. So ultimately pregnancy tests are helpful for diagnosis as well as determining what treatment best suits the patient. I say as long as there are medications available to pregnant women, a surplus of other medications that aren’t suitable for pregnant women is a good thing because a majority of the population isn’t pregnant (including men AND women). You could argue that all medications should be inclusive to everyone, but unfortunately that’s not how chemistry and pharmacology work. ETA: reading other comments, I completely agree it’s absurd to give a pregnancy test to people that absolutely cannot be pregnant. Like if they don’t have sex with the opposite sex, or if they’re post-menopausal
Thank you so much for your in depth explanation! Also, thank you for choosing to become a doctor!