My patient, who I’ll call Maria, was a married, 30-something woman, and a mother of five children. She knew that she couldn’t afford to have any more children, so she requested a sterilization procedure.

However, Maria couldn’t afford the $800 down payment that my hospital required for the procedure.

Luckily, she did qualify for a discounted intrauterine device (IUD) in our family planning clinic, which receives Title X funds. We were able to offer her this safe, effective, and long-acting alternative and help her to take care of herself and her family.

While Maria should have been able to have access to the care she requested, I’m glad we were able to find a solution that worked for her when she needed it.