Access to Tubal Ligation: An analysis of women’s trajectories and experiences in the public health subsector of Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina

Tubal ligation access in the province of La Pampa is regulated by Provincial Law 2079 and National Law 26130. Although the only legal requirements are to be over 16 years of age and to sign an informed consent form, in practice there are barriers stemming from institutionalized heteronormativity. This normative framework privileges certain profiles of women while resisting the procedure for others, despite their status as rights-holders. This study aims to describe and analyze the trajectories and experiences of women who requested a tubal ligation — whether or not they ultimately obtained the procedure — in the public health subsector of the city of Santa Rosa, La Pampa. The research adopts a qualitative theoretical-methodological approach based on grounded theory. A total of 18 in-depth interviews were conducted between 2022 and 2023. The findings reveal the effects of the social valuation of motherhood within health services, which places women in a subordinate position regarding their autonomy and their right to make decisions about their reproductive functions in the face of medical authority.