In a baffling display of ideological fervor over medical facts, a women`s clinic in Ekaterinburg, Russia, recently became the stage for a peculiar drama. A poster offering vital information on contraception, including sterilization, was publicly torn down and even “stomped out of existence” by health officials. This incident, now circulating widely, highlights a growing tension between patient autonomy, evidence-based medicine, and prevailing demographic policies.
The Unraveling of Information
The controversy stems from an “inspection” initiated by Natalia Moskvitina, a prominent figure known for her anti-abortion activism as the head of the “Women for Life” fund and a host on the Orthodox TV channel “Spas.” Accompanied by Mark Itskovich, the head of perinatal psychologists for the Sverdlovsk Region Ministry of Health, Moskvitina discovered a poster in a women`s consultation corridor. The poster, innocuously displaying various contraception methods—among them, surgical sterilization—along with explanations of their necessity and implications, immediately drew their ire.
For Moskvitina and Itskovich, this informational display was not a public health service but an “advertisement” for sterilization. Their primary concern, they vocalized, was Russia`s demographic situation, implying that any mention of birth control, particularly a permanent one, ran counter to the nation`s need for more pregnancies. In a video released four months after the event, Moskvitina can be heard asserting, “When the demographic situation is like this, you come, and they offer sterilization – why offer it? It needs to be removed. We need pregnant women.” Following this pronouncement, Itskovich duly ripped down the poster and proceeded to trample it. The clinic, in a somewhat Orwellian twist, was then awarded a “pink sticker” signifying “working on improvements.”
Medical Necessity Versus Ideological Purity
From a purely medical standpoint, sterilization is recognized globally as the most effective method of contraception. While irreversible and typically sought by women, the procedure is performed only under a doctor`s referral and is recommended by the WHO for couples confident in completing their reproductive plans. Dr. Natalya Mezhlumova, an obstetrician-gynecologist and PhD in medical sciences, emphasized its role:
“Naturally, not every woman is indicated for surgical sterilization. It is not a very common method. But sometimes patients come for an appointment and say they do not want to use various methods of contraception: `I already have three to five children, I am not planning any more pregnancies.` The population, I think, should know about such methods of contraception, because sometimes there are situations when a woman cannot be prescribed hormonal drugs or other methods of contraception. Patients in general should know this information, because doctors cannot always present such information during appointments. If there is a poster, a person can get acquainted. It does not urge the patient to undergo sterilization. This is official information, it is not a forbidden method.”
Echoing this sentiment, Pavel Bazanov, Medical Director of Eco Family Clinic, highlighted that such informational materials are not propaganda but an essential part of medical education. These posters provide fundamental knowledge, empowering patients to ask informed questions and, crucially, contribute to a reduction in unwanted pregnancies and, consequently, abortions.
“If it is about contraception in the form of sterilization, of course, the doctor`s task is to explain that this is an extreme method of contraception, and it can only be used for women who have had many births, and usually it is performed as part of a C-section operation when a woman already has several children and she understands that she simply cannot carry and give birth to more. Women should know that such a method of contraception exists, it is very important, but only a doctor should recommend it. This is not the woman`s initiative. Different people may have different emotional backgrounds, but doctors must be guided by facts, not emotions, so any patient must be informed about all methods of regulating their health. If there are many unwanted pregnancies, this, unfortunately, will lead to an increase in the frequency of abortions.”
The Cost of “Improvements”
The removal of the poster, deemed a necessary “improvement,” now leaves women visiting this Ekaterinburg clinic “protected from excessive information.” One might ponder the exact nature of this protection. Is it from informed choice? From understanding their own bodies and options? The irony is palpable: in an age where access to accurate health information is paramount, a deliberate act to suppress it under the guise of demographic concerns marks a concerning precedent.
As the Russian writer Denis Fonvizin once penned, “enlightenment elevates only a virtuous soul.” This incident in Ekaterinburg serves as a stark reminder that the battle for access to knowledge, especially in personal and medical matters, is far from over, often playing out in the most unexpected of places—a quiet clinic hallway, where facts are meant to empower, not to be trampled upon.
