I’m 52 and they made me do a pregnancy test

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They made my good friend, who had a hysterectomy almost 10 years ago, do a pregnancy test before her recent surgery because she still has her ovaries. Yeah...

Ectopic pregnancy. Pregnancies in the abdominal cavity, without a uterus, have happened before. They don't lead to viable babies, but they can lead to severe injury or death for the mother, and it's important to know before surgery in case there's a bleed-out. Pregnant women respond differently to anesthesia and hemorrhage.

This is so rare as to be asinine as a basis for forcing women to have pregnancy tests.

It's rare but preventable. If you were pregnant, you could sue and they would lose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Contrary to PP's legitimately irrational examples, requiring a pregnancy test at 52 IS legitimate.

It happens extremely rarely for women to be pregnant at that age, but it does happen, and it's hard to recognize when cycles are highly irregular, like they are at that age. If you menstruate, by definition there is a chance you can get pregnant. Nowadays, there are also more women who try to conceive with donor eggs and who might forget to tell their doctor before the procedure that they may be pregnant.

LOTS of people forget to tell their doctors very important things before dangerous or laborious procedures, which is why the team insists. It's like asking whether you're allergic to certain drugs before anesthesia, or whether you have any metal on you before an MRI, etc. People forget, because they're nervous and they can't think of everything! The medical team is here to do the thinking for them.

Don't take it personally.

I do take it personally because it's paternalistic sexist bs. I refused to do it before a surgery. I was so angry I had to go to the hospital a day early and wait for 2 hours for them to give me a pregnancy test post menopause. I told them to f themselves and left. They still did the surgery.

I’m 52 and periods have just started to get wonky in the past two months. Likely to get pregnant? No. But possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They made my good friend, who had a hysterectomy almost 10 years ago, do a pregnancy test before her recent surgery because she still has her ovaries. Yeah...

Ectopic pregnancy. Pregnancies in the abdominal cavity, without a uterus, have happened before. They don't lead to viable babies, but they can lead to severe injury or death for the mother, and it's important to know before surgery in case there's a bleed-out. Pregnant women respond differently to anesthesia and hemorrhage.

I’ve had a partial hysterectomy and randomly wondered the other day if I could still get pregnant with intact, functioning ovaries and yep, it can happen. I was shocked! It’s extremely rare but apparently part of the differential diagnosis when such patients present with severe abdominal pain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Contrary to PP's legitimately irrational examples, requiring a pregnancy test at 52 IS legitimate.

It happens extremely rarely for women to be pregnant at that age, but it does happen, and it's hard to recognize when cycles are highly irregular, like they are at that age. If you menstruate, by definition there is a chance you can get pregnant. Nowadays, there are also more women who try to conceive with donor eggs and who might forget to tell their doctor before the procedure that they may be pregnant.

LOTS of people forget to tell their doctors very important things before dangerous or laborious procedures, which is why the team insists. It's like asking whether you're allergic to certain drugs before anesthesia, or whether you have any metal on you before an MRI, etc. People forget, because they're nervous and they can't think of everything! The medical team is here to do the thinking for them.

Don't take it personally.

I do take it personally because it's paternalistic sexist bs. I refused to do it before a surgery. I was so angry I had to go to the hospital a day early and wait for 2 hours for them to give me a pregnancy test post menopause. I told them to f themselves and left. They still did the surgery.

I’m sure you were being a complete bitch to the people who made the rule, rather than the poor workers who were just trying to do their jobs.

[Anonymous]

I’m 51 and still menstruating but I’m married to a women so they don’t make me take one lol.

[Anonymous]

Wow. Some people just really like to complain.

[Anonymous]

This thread is revealing the astounding lack of knowledge about health and human biology. There is absolutely nothing "sexist" about this protocol. Women in their 50s can and do get pregnant. More women in perimenopause have unplanned pregnancies than teenagers. And yes, ectopic pregnancies can and do happen. What is happening here? Why is this offensive?

[Anonymous]

My grandmother had her last pregnancy (#15) at age 52.

[Anonymous]

There's a lot of undignified stuff that happens when you have major medical procedures. Maybe some is preventable but some things just go along with you body barely functioning in the face of serious intervention. It seems excessive to me to worry so much about just peeing in a cup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went for a procedure today and they made me do a pregnancy test beforehand bc I am still menstruating, even though I am 52. What are the odds lol.

You are still menstruating - so yeah, I can understand that. People can get pregnant over 50, it just is much less likely.

[Anonymous]

I’m 50 and was about 10mo into the 12mo count for meno. I’m also divorced and haven’t had sex in years. They did a urine pregnancy test prior to my colonoscopy. Something came back unsure so they had to repeat as a blood test. I thought it was hysterical that there was even the remotest possibility I was pregnant. The surgeon who had to wait for the blood test results was not amused.

[Anonymous]

You were carded! Congrats! I wish this would happen to me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They made my good friend, who had a hysterectomy almost 10 years ago, do a pregnancy test before her recent surgery because she still has her ovaries. Yeah...

Ectopic pregnancy. Pregnancies in the abdominal cavity, without a uterus, have happened before. They don't lead to viable babies, but they can lead to severe injury or death for the mother, and it's important to know before surgery in case there's a bleed-out. Pregnant women respond differently to anesthesia and hemorrhage.

This is so rare as to be asinine as a basis for forcing women to have pregnancy tests.

“Forcing woman?” It’s peeing on a stick. The benefits outweigh the risk (and there are no risks here, just benefits)

[Anonymous]

I'm 56 and still have a regular period. Had a pelvic u/s last year and the tech remarked to me that I was ovulating. o.0 Good grief.

It does happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m 54 and had to take one. I actually had to buy it at the drug store. I was so embarrassed. I’m sure she was thinking, “okay, lady…” <eye roll>