North Carolina women once needed spousal consent for tubal ligation

Once women needed her husband's permission to get her tubes tied.Photo byGetty

Married women in North Carolina, and other states like Virginia and Georgia, historically required their husband's consent to obtain a tubal ligation. This law persisted until the late 1970s when women began to challenge it in court.

Historical Context:

• Requirement: Married women needed their husband's consent for tubal ligation.
• States Affected: Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, among others.

Legal Changes:

• Court Challenges: Women started to challenge these laws in the late 1970s.
• Outcome: The requirement was overturned, granting women more autonomy over their medical decisions.

Current Exceptions:

• Private Hospitals: Some private hospitals may still have policies requiring the signed consent of both spouses for tubal ligation.
• Public Hospitals: Legally, publicly owned hospitals cannot enforce such a policy and must respect a woman's right to make decisions about her body without spousal consent.

This shift marked a significant step towards gender equality in medical decision-making, although some private institutions may still have restrictive policies.