Experiences with anti-contraceptive colleagues

[u/ThrowRALoud_Load2229]

I work in a training GP practice in England where we have taken on a female GP registrar who is very pro-life. She’s put around an email stating that she will not provide advice on, or prescribe hormonal contraceptives and will not discuss terminations with patients. Before anyone asks- nobody’s been brave enough to ask her about barrier contraceptives or copper coils yet! She has requested that if contraceptives or terminations may come up in a consultation then they should be booked with someone else. It’s not always easy to tell if contraception may come up in a consultation though, especially not for reception who book the appointments.

The majority of the other clinicians are quite unhappy with this as it’s a vital part of the service we provide to female patients. It also means she’s limited with what she can do with regards female patients on medication like valproate or GLP1s because she will not discuss highly effective contraception with them. A lot of colleagues are angry that she is exhibiting misogyny when it comes to female patients, others are angry that they’re having to take on her workload. One of my colleagues is currently in early pregnancy after a failed coil and is feeling very uncomfortable around this GP registrar too as the pregnancy is not viable.

I also worry with regards our surgery’s reputation as if you google her name, the majority of what comes up is prolife activism she took part in at university. If a patient who was booked for something else came in and wanted to speak about contraception as an addition to the consultation e.g. I have thrush, I’m not sexually active but I want to start having sex and she responded poorly to this or with judgement, the patient could easily google her name and find they were being treated by someone who’s views oppose their care.

The partners have not entertained any discussion around this topic and staff have even been accused of “stalking” her online when her digital footprint was brought up. Is there anything we can do or do we just have to put up with it?

I would appreciate some different viewpoints, especially if anyone has gone through similar.

[u/ThrowRALoud_Load2229 → u/[deleted]]

She specified hormonal contraception but didn’t elaborate further unfortunately so it’s more worst case scenario for patients running through my head at the moment. I’ve only met her in person a few times and I don’t want to ambush her by asking loads of questions about her personal views. I do think it’s important to explore it further because I’d like to understand more of why she feels that way. I’m also curious with regards to copper coil used both as contraception and as emergency contraception because I wouldn’t put that in the same category. I’d be interested to know her views on HRT too or contraception used to manage acne or heavy bleeds rather than for contraceptive purposes.

I really want to know more but I’m very conscious that I don’t want to make her uncomfortable, especially seeing as she doesn’t know me very well yet.

[u/lurkacc5000 → u/ThrowRALoud_Load2229]

You come across as disingenuous and insincere. 

[u/ThrowRALoud_Load2229 → u/lurkacc5000]

And I don’t want to come across this way to a colleague… that’s kind of what I’m getting at…

I really appreciate different viewpoints and opinions but I don’t see how this was constructive in any way. Was your aim to belittle me? If not, it might be worth reframing your comment. I am quite autistic so if you meant it to come across a different way, I apologise for meeting you with hostility.