Melbourne mum Jessica Leonard had tried everything to deal with her excruciating menstrual periods. So when her doctor proposed a procedure that could end her period forever, it seemed too good to be true.

There was just one catch: if she happened to fall pregnant again, it would be extremely dangerous, and could even kill her.

Jessica's GP recommended she get her tubes tied as a precaution, and having finished having children, she was "happy and confident" to make that decision.

But when she tried to book the dual procedures, usually done in a single operation, she hit a road block. The Catholic public hospital she planned to use refused on religious principles. She would need two operations — and double the risk.

"I was incredibly anxious and really quite devastated to think that … in the public hospital system, they were willing to put my health and safety at risk because of a religious belief that they hold that I don't," she said.

Jessica's is just one of many stories from women denied access to key healthcare services at Catholic public hospitals.

Read the Background Briefing investigation or listen to the podcast episode on the ABC listen app.

Then, explore our coverage of International Day of People with Disability, like this story by Ajar Sana.

Ajar explains how COVID made her feel isolated and afraid, while grappling with different elements of her identity.

"I am more than my disability," she writes.

"I am a brown, disabled, Muslim woman. And sometimes, my intersecting identities only fuel the isolation I feel."

And finally, tune in to the final episode of Judith Lucy's Overwhelmed and Living, where Judith arrives at a dramatic decision.
 

Until next time,
Anna Levy, deputy digital editor
 

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