A 22-year-old woman with moderate learning difficulties attends the GP with her carer. The carer requests that the woman be sterilised to prevent futu...

Question

A 22-year-old woman with moderate learning difficulties attends the GP with her carer. The carer requests that the woman be sterilised to prevent future pregnancies. The woman does not appear to understand what sterilisation means. Which is the single most appropriate action?

Accepted Answer

Assess the woman's capacity to consent to sterilisation using the Mental Capacity Act 2005 framework

Answer

Proceed with referral for sterilisation as the carer has best interests authority

Answer

Refuse the request outright as sterilisation is never appropriate for people with learning difficulties

Answer

Refer directly to a gynaecologist to arrange the procedure

Answer

Prescribe long-acting reversible contraception as an alternative without assessing capacity

uk-drcog MCQ (SBA): Capacity and Sterilisation

A 22-year-old woman with moderate learning difficulties attends the GP with her carer. The carer requests that the woman be sterilised to prevent future pregnancies. The woman does not appear to understand what sterilisation means. Which is the single most appropriate action?