Editor’s note: The subject matter discussed in the following article may be disturbing to some readers.
In Canada, for decades, thousands of Indigenous women and other marginalized individuals have been subjected to sterilization procedures without prior or informed consent. This troubling pattern has raised significant concerns regarding medical ethics and human rights.
Katy Bear, a 21-year-old woman from Saskatchewan, experienced this firsthand in 2005 when she underwent a tubal ligation shortly after giving birth to her fourth child at a hospital in Saskatoon. Initially, medical staff recommended the procedure as a form of birth control. However, when Bear opposed the suggestion, a staff member reportedly threatened her by saying that the Provincial Protective Services would take her other children if she didn’t consent to the procedure.
Bear recalls feeling panicked and pressured, stating, “I just remember thinking ‘Oh my God, what is going on here? Fine, I’ll just have it done, like leave me alone, leave my kids alone.’” Before she could consult with her husband or family, she was taken to surgery. During the procedure, Bear expressed her discomfort and desire to back out, but staff informed her that she had already signed the paperwork and that reversing the decision was not an option.
The aftermath of the procedure left Bear in pain for years due to complications from the clamps used during the tubal ligation. Miraculously, in 2023, after almost two decades of being sterilized, Bear discovered she was pregnant. However, this pregnancy came with serious complications, as it was an ectopic pregnancy, which nearly resulted in her death. Fortunately, her new doctor was able to reverse the original sterilization, allowing Bear to become pregnant again later that year.
As Bear prepared for the birth of her second child, still at the same hospital where her initial sterilization had occurred, she faced further distress. Medical staff informed her that the baby was in a breech position, and they recommended an emergency Cesarean section (C-section). They also inquired whether she wanted her other fallopian tube tied at that moment. Bear was filled with dread, recalling her previous experience: “The fear, because I was sterilized in this hospital when I was 21, the fear set in, and I was, I just want out of here.”
Ultimately, both Bear and her newborn are healthy, but Bear’s ordeal reflects a larger trend that advocates are actively fighting against. Alongside other survivors, she is campaigning for reproductive rights and justice for those adversely affected by forced or coerced sterilization procedures.
In response to these ongoing issues, there is a bill currently before Canadian Parliament aimed at addressing the legal ramifications of such practices. Bill S-228 proposes amendments to the criminal code to classify forced or coerced sterilization as an act of aggravated assault, carrying a potential penalty of up to 14 years in prison. Having passed the Senate last fall, this bill is set to undergo its first significant debate in the House of Commons soon.
According to the Survivors Circle for Reproductive Justice, it is estimated that between 12,000 to 15,000 individuals have been sterilized in Canada without proper consent, with reports of such procedures continuing as recently as last year. This disturbing revelation highlights the urgent need for legislative change and accountability in healthcare practices across Canada.
