Who May Be Sterlized?

Here's an interesting thread concerning the unwillingness of some in the medical establishment to perform voluntary sterilization on childless women (and in some cases, men). Here's a sample comment-

I have been arguing for years that I never want children and it took me threatening to do self surgery with “a kitchen knife and a copy of Grey’s anatomy” to finally get referred to an OB. And then I had some anti-choicer offer to ‘adopt’ if anything happens between now and my waiting list. I assured her that there was no way I was giving birth by any means necessary, be it a clinic, a coat hanger or a jump in front of a fast moving train. I also reminded another anti-choicer that by getting my tubes tied I could suffer a tubal pregnancy that will kill me and thereby made every possible pregnancy a life threatening one just to make damn sure I will have it terminated. What sort of society makes you have to threaten yourself with self-mutilation and possible death because you choose not to have children?

It seems the issue also extends into the right to have IUDs implanted. Think about it- these are adults in their twenties and thirties being denied contraception based on a naive pronatalist notion that someday they'll 'come around to the right way of thinking'. Societal paternalism runs deep.

It's also interesting to note how many women reject the idea of the so-called 'nurturing instinct', at least as a universal female attribute. Makes one wonder how much is simply culturally ingrained mythology, doesn't it?