140. Fast Work, Frank

Pope Francis has been in office for only a few days, but already his influence has reached the shores of the Pacific.  The local Catholic hospital is easing up its rules on elective sterilizations, a Catholic no-no (perhaps not quite the "machination of the Father of Lies" as the new Pope has characterized gay marriage, but still verboten).

Routine (i.e., no advance approval required) tubal ligations have been allowed at this institution only if performed in conjunction with a cesarean delivery.  In my limited experience, this has been the case in other Catholic hospitals run by nuns; in those under the direction of priests, no tubal ligations under any circumstances. The principle is that if the woman were to have a tubal ligation as a separate procedure in the future, that additional procedure would carry more (albeit negligible) risk to her health than by doing it at the same time as a cesarean delivery.

Now any procedure can be included under the same generalized exception: "surgical sterilizations not needing prior approval... existing medical condition requiring surgery and/or treatment modality that increases health risk should the patient become pregnant the tubal ligation becomes medically necessary [sic]."

Two loopholes here (yes, you can drive a truck through them).  First, the phrase "increases health risk" as opposed to the "risk to life" that is the usual exception to Catholic health directives.  Second, before just cesareans, now, you name it, as in, "while we're removing your ingrown toenail, would you like your tubes tied?"