The Editor, Sir:

I am a concerned citizen regarding young women who have two or three children and do not see themselves caring for any more. These women request tubal ligations, but are refused on the grounds of being young, and supposedly, they might want more children later.

I know of a few such young women who have ended up with more unwanted children. This includes married and unmarried women, with children for one or more than one father, and the additional children often cause problems in their relationships. I even know of one such woman who was supposedly given the ligation surgery at the same time as her third Caesarean section, but ended up getting pregnant anyway a few years later.

Their choices

I am, therefore, requesting that the Ministry of Health look into the matter and ensure that such young women be routinely given all necessary (unbiased) information (not told what to do), and be allowed to make their own choices, otherwise the medical personnel who try to control such persons' lives be responsible financially for the unwanted children that they cause to come into the world. Or if any such thing should happen again, the person or persons responsible ought to be sued by these young women.

I am, etc.,

SHIRLEY THOMAS

Westmoreland