NHS sterilisation fight winner Holly Brockwell wants women like her to be respected and listened to

Editor of online women’s magazine Gadgette, Holly Brockwell, had been fighting constantly since 2012 to get sterilised. Finally her fight with the National Health Service (NHS) paid off after four years as the 30-year-old journalist got what she needed. Brockwell, a resident of the UK, never wanted to be a mother. She initially asked her GP about having the operation done as she was sure of her decision. Doctors refused to even listen to her as they believed she was too young to be taking such a decision.

Brockwell was “a little groggy and sore, but euphoric” after the operation, as she believes that her NHS sterilisation fight would help a lot of women like her who don’t want to reproduce in their lives. Brockwell did not only face flak from family, friends, strangers and doctors, but also from people on social media who vehemently criticised her whenever she spoke about getting her tubes tied. She can now hit back at her detractors.

“Many, many people have suggested that I shouldn't have sex if I'm not intending to reproduce, which is an opinion so old that I can see the cobwebs. No one says ‘just cross your legs’ to men wanting a vasectomy,” Brockwell told The Independent.

She added that she wants women to be respected and listened to when they speak on sterilisation. However, she also pointed out that she loves children and that she was absolutely not against anyone wanting to start a family. She said she respects all methods of getting pregnant be it biologically, through IVF or adoption. Brockwell went through with the operation at St Thomas' Hospital in Central London.

In an article she wrote for Mail Online, she expressed her excitement about the idea that she can never be pregnant in her life. While many may think that’s not a reason to be happy, Brockwell stated that it’s everything she wanted and fought for.

“I've been patronised, ignored, harassed, judged and demonised, but I've never wavered in my determination to be sterilised,” she wrote.

However, for Brockwell it was a conscious, thought-through decision and not a heck-of-a-moment decision. Writing for The Telegraph, she explained how difficult it was to make that decision. She “researched, considered, weighed-up and defended, over and over again.”