Posting a heated Tweet or signing an online petition may give some relief to the disgruntled 20-something, but there are other options for resolving unrest. In my last article, I shared an “open letter” to Dr. Doug Stein, who is subject of "The Vasectomist" (on Netflix now), documenting his multinational crusade to bring reliable family planning to men through vasectomy. I sought his advice on attaining permanent birth control measures, as a woman (namely tubal ligation).
*For proper context, please read “Open Letter to The Vasectomist (Dr. Stein)” prior to proceeding. It will help fill in the gaps of my personal story, why I decided to contact a vasectomy expert concerning female birth control, and save me a lot of repetition. READ HERE
Instead of torpedoing my grievances into the internet universe and then walking away, I put in a request to get in touch with the doctor through his practice’s website. I reached out for advice and information to someone who could actually help. It seems even the most eloquently stated grievances don’t usually get resolved through Tweets and Facebook rants. Right? Dr. Stein responded within 24 hours.
Here is a pared down transcript of our conversation:
From: Douglas Stein
Date: Wed, Aug 3, 2016 at 2:32 PM
Subject: Re: Website Information Request
To: stepahnies@ymail.com
Ms. Seeliger,
Thank you for your interest in family planning. It's my life, so I would be happy to render an opinion on any aspect of it. Please forward your e-mail or let me know if you would prefer to speak by phone.
Doug Stein, MD
Stephanie Seeliger <stephanies@ymail.com>
To Douglas Stein
Aug 4 at 1:12 PM
Hello Dr. Stein,
Thank you so much for getting back to me. I appreciate your willingness to speak with me. Truly, I am just looking for your take on my situation. After viewing your work and beliefs in "The Vasectomist" documentary, I was moved to reach out.
I've put my thoughts into a short word document (attached), summarizing my history of personal experiences with healthcare professionals who have been unwilling to provide permanent pregnancy prevention for me, as a woman. Sometimes it feels like I am denied the conversation because I am a woman. I am curious as to whether this is a necessary position for them to take, whether it is in line with professional standards, and if I should be approaching my options in some different way.
I look forward to hearing from you concerning my personal matter, and again thank you for making yourself available to discuss family planning!
Best,
StephanieDouglas Stein
Hi Stephanie,
Please see http://www.vasweb.com/vasectomy_faqs.html#AgeRestrictions. These are the points I discuss personally by phone with any man under 30 who has fewer than two children. If he remains steadfast in his resolve to proceed with vasectomy, I almost always comply.
Vasectomy has a number of advantages over tubal ligation:
1. It can be done easily under local anesthesia so no facility is needed. General anesthesia or heavy sedation carries greater risk.
2. Its effectiveness can be easily tested by simply checking a semen specimen.
3. Reversal of vasectomy is easier and can also be done under local.
4. Sperm can be obtained for storage more easily than eggs, and stored sperm can fertilize eggs in vivo, whereas stored eggs are fertilized in vitro, then implanted, a more complicated process.
Despite all that, I would follow the same criteria for females as I do for males after full informed consent. And I am sure that there are gynecologists who would perform a tubal for you. Charles Monteith (https://www.tubal-reversal.net/) is a personal friend and colleague who has traveled with me to many countries performing vasectomies. He is a tubal reversal expert, so he is also a tubal expert. Would you like me to share your e-mail with him? Or you can contact him personally.
Feel free to call my cell ------- if you would like to discuss further.
Doug Stein, MD
Ha! After just a few e-mails, I take away an informative conversation about family planning which has been otherwise unavailable to me. I was pleased to gain the contact information for a tubal expert that may be useful in moving forward with my individual situation. I learned more about informed consent for vasectomy in individuals under 30 with less than two children in Dr. Stein’s practice, which I feel is a good format to propose for use during gynecological consultations for the tubal procedure. This is first-hand information and it is valuable, no citing sources.
Not to be ignored is my appreciation to the healthcare professionals I have been lucky enough to have access to in a nation with excellent healthcare. Since my first article I have mulled over considerations that women couldn't vote until the 19th Amendment was added to the Bill of Rights in 1920, the birth control pill was not publicly accepted until the 1960’s, and reproduction continues to be a hot topic in the political arena. It seems that there is an ever-changing and evolving view toward family planning in America; even further nuanced by region, belief system, culture, SES and innumerable other factors. I enjoyed digging in to yet another facet of the discussion.
On a broader level, I hope to prod people into taking action that reaches beyond the blog post and into the real world. Individuals who influence our world, and may be able to contribute to its betterment, are more accessible than we may think. Take advantage of those “Contact Us!” sections of websites, and then reinforce your statement with an open letter, Yelp Review or Tweet.
* World Vasectomy Day is November 18, 2016. To learn more, Visit the official website:
