Having had a chance to watch the repeat of Checkpoint on sterilisation, I feel an opportunity to put this matter to rest has been missed. This is essentially a very emotive topic, marred by preconceived ideas which are not necessarily true.

And an accusatory tone on the part of the investigators, who did not have the patience to listen to the professor, often interrupting her while she was trying to explain certain procedures, instead of hearing her out.

This is not the first time there has been an outcry on so-called forced sterilisation, which shows how deeply these women have been hurt.

Education of expectant women about everything that will affect them during the perinatal period starts when they attend antenatal classes/care until delivery and post-delivery. So, the different methods of contraception are thoroughly discussed, including pros and cons.

Delivery is fraught with complications and so is pregnancy. Various unexpected complications may arise, which require prompt action to save both the mother and the baby. No doctor or midwife can intentionally hurt them.

The process of sterilisation has been explained in a previous email... It would make no medical sense to do C-section to a patient who would later have to be taken to theatre on a later date just for sterilisation.

To answer the question of that young lady who had wished to have been given the uterus that had been removed from her, the Human Tissue Act of 2004 regulates how human tissue is to be treated.

Cometh Dube-Makholwa, Midrand