Mike, Where are you, and how recently were you told by that "doctor" that you should be sterilized? My Mom did her nurses training in the late 40's at a University where girls with disabilities (but not boys) were routinely sterilized until the 60's. Interestingly enough, my wife, as a kid, attended the Hospital School at that same university during the summer until she was 12 or so for PT, OT, and Speech because the little town she lived in didn't have those services. Kendall Corbett An unreasonable man (but my wife says that's redundant!) The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man. -George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950 -----Original Message----- From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Monday, May 09, 2005 8:01 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: new member intro and some well-meant comments... I have a serious problem with the "religious right" saying we as disabled need to be healed. I would like this arthritis to go away but past that I'm fine as I am. These are the kind of people who would on one hand be right to life and be agaisnt all abourtions, but when it comes to the disable having children, their first words would be to have the disabled, both men and women sterilized, or have an abortion immediately or try to set up adoption before even consulting with the disabled couple. This may not be the case everywhere but it is in my area. One doctor told me that I needed to be sterilized. No doctor should have the right to say a person should be sterilized unless there is a medical need like it would endanger the woman's life. This is one of my personal rants against the world.