Informed Consent in Sterilisation Services : Evidence from Public and Private Health Care Institutions in Chennai
Informed Consent is a crucial ethical principle applicable in the context of women accessing reproductive health services, specifically sterilisation. This paper deconstructs informed, understood and voluntary consent and applies it to the data gathered through exit interviews of 246 women who underwent sterilisation across 18 public and private hospitals in Chennai, India. Results point to inadequate information provided to women, poor documentation of consent and an unfavourable client-provider environment to exercise the right to informed consent. It recommends sensitisation of women clients, providers and facilities and the need to popularise informed consent as a desirable and achievable goal