CHLP Joins NHeLP's comments for the HHS Information Collection Request on the Consent for Sterilization Form

On April 18, 2022, the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services with recommendations on how to revise the Consent for Sterilization Form. The letter is in response to an information collection request and was co-signed by CHLP and 57 other organizations dedicated to advancing the reproductive health, rights, and justice of people with low incomes; BIPOC; LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming individuals; people with disabilities; young people; and people with substance use disorders.

As stated in the letter, the United States has an ugly history of forcibily sterilizing people in these communities and, relative to the work that CHLP engages in, this includes challenges to the right to bear children by women living with HIV and people living with disabilities. The Consent for Sterililzation Form is a much-needed protection against these discriminatory practices, which continue to this day. The letter outlines improvements that could be made to the letter to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the consent process for people with disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP), LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with low literacy levels who want to undergo sterilization.

Click below to read the full letter.