A KwaZulu-Natal woman has come forward with a harrowing allegation that she was sterilized against her will at a government hospital at the age of 19, following a doctor’s disapproval of her HIV-positive status. Her testimony was presented during a press briefing on human rights, highlighting what advocates call a severe breach of bodily autonomy.
The woman, whose identity remains protected due to the stigma surrounding HIV, described the events leading to her sterilization in 2017. She stated that during a consultation while overdue for delivery, a reviewing doctor saw her HIV status on her medical card and expressed anger.
“He even said he doesn’t understand why HIV positive women continue to have children,” the woman recounted. “And then that’s when he asked me if whether I want to be sterilized or not. While I was still thinking about what he said… he wrote something on my card.”
Her ordeal intensified when she was in active labor. After initially being prepared for a natural delivery, a doctor intervened, read her card, and ordered staff to prepare her for an emergency Caesarean section. While in severe pain, she was presented with forms to sign.
“I remember after the delivery… there was a doctor, a white female doctor who came… She was so angry. She didn’t understand why are they sterilizing a 19-year-old where there is treatment and you know services,” the victim stated.
The woman now lives with lasting physical and psychological trauma. She reported significant changes to her menstrual cycle and was never warned of potential side effects. The scar from her C-section serves as a constant reminder of her loss.
“You are always reminded that you are [a] family woman and all the time you won’t give birth to any child… It leaves you forever,” she said, describing the procedure as a choice made by someone else that has left her feeling incomplete.
The briefing referenced earlier commentary from a doctor who confirmed that such cases often involve coercion or a complete lack of consent. The victim in this case insists she was coerced while in a vulnerable and painful state, unable to give informed consent.
The allegation raises serious questions about informed consent protocols and discriminatory practices against women living with HIV within the public healthcare system. Advocates have linked the case to a broader pattern of human rights violations, coinciding with International Human Rights Day observations.
The hospital involved and the KZN Department of Health have yet to respond publicly to these specific allegations.
