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*a thread on language and reproductive injustice*
Today I checked the MAR and noticed a nexplanon ordered for one of my spanish-speaking patients.
Weird, because I just talked to her and she’s unsure, I was just about to print her some @RHAP1 handouts in Spanish.
Today I checked the MAR and noticed a nexplanon ordered for one of my spanish-speaking patients.
Weird, because I just talked to her and she’s unsure, I was just about to print her some @RHAP1 handouts in Spanish.
I checked who placed the order - a consulting team. I gave them a call.
“Just to clarify, saw you ordered a nexplanon, does she want one?”
“Yep” *annoyed tone* “talked to her this morning”
“Oh, okay, I just talked to her and she’s not sure, thinking depo”
“Just to clarify, saw you ordered a nexplanon, does she want one?”
“Yep” *annoyed tone* “talked to her this morning”
“Oh, okay, I just talked to her and she’s not sure, thinking depo”
“Did you talk to her in English or Spanish?”
Pause, as they ask someone else in the room.
“English ... can you cancel the order?”
Pause, as they ask someone else in the room.
“English ... can you cancel the order?”
Its horrifying to think this patient would have gotten a device placed in her body that she didn’t want. She wanted contraception but it still makes me think of the use of #norplant to coerce welfare recipients in the 90’s
The patient had mentioned to us prior that the other team talked to her in English and she didn’t understand. The med student taught me a new phrase: “no te cortas”. Basically, don’t cut yourself short. But really, it’s not on the patient. There is a mad power dynamic at play.
I would hope the team would have clarified and got to the point where they realized the patient didn’t understand. But really, how did they even get to the point of settling on nexplanon? Did they just start there?
I used to counsel heavily for LARCs. Great data blah blah blah. But then as I read more and more about the history of the violence enacted by the government and white physicians against poor POC, I was horrified.
I stepped back. The best option is not a LARC (I used to say that). It’s the method the patient wants.
I felt sick after this encounter. We need to do better. Norplant coercion lurks on in phYsician centered contraceptive counseling. And speak to patients in their preferred language. Please.
