A woman on TikTok who was under the impression she had married a “good man” received a shocking wake up call after he put a stop to the hysterectomy she had planned to get because apparently husbands can do that.
The concept of agency for women is slowly being eroded in the U.S., when Roe v. Wade was repealed, it was a huge step back for women across the country as many states removed their freedom for choice. But one TikTok creator, “diaryofahappyblackwoman” found that her husband had more control over her body than she thought after her planned hysterectomy was denied when he didn’t sign a consent form.
The idea that the husband has to give his consent for a surgical procedure that his wife would be undergoing is incredibly concerning. It proves that some men really do just want control over their partner’s bodies because what do you mean he had the power to put a stop her surgery? In what world is that normal?
The woman explains that she had booked the procedure as a 30th birthday gift to herself and that she and her husband had discussed prior to this that neither of them wanted children. However, he was unaware that the surgery was booked in until she had to go to the doctors for a swollen mosquito bite. While there, the doctor handed her the consent form for the hysterectomy and gave one to the husband too. The husband then changed his mind and refused to give consent.
TikTok is outraged
Many were rightly shocked that this was even possible, surely this was a breach of patient confidentiality. Many recommended divorce, one viewer joked “Good news, now we have different papers to sign babe.” While commenters can sometimes be a little quick to shout “divorce,” in this case it’s justified. “Don’t let him touch you!” advised another, adding, “he’s more concerned about how this will affect his sex life.”
Some did criticize the woman for not telling her husband that she was getting the hysterectomy and while communication of important issues in a marriage is important, the main point of concern is how some doctor’s practices require spousal consent for procedures like hysterectomies.
The law on voluntary sterilization is more than a little hazy. While it’s mostly agreed that consent from the spouse is not necessary, some states still require the “written consent of the patient’s spouse to voluntary sterilizations” according to an article from PubMed. While the law has been contested and labeled unconstitutional by many, it’s been a thing for a while and serves as yet another example of men controlling women’s bodies.
