Please post your blog comments to week 13’s (class on Thursday, November 29th) readings on the Women’s Health Movement and Natural Family Planning (NFP) here!
Have a nice Thanksgiving Break!
Please post your blog comments to week 13’s (class on Thursday, November 29th) readings on the Women’s Health Movement and Natural Family Planning (NFP) here!
Have a nice Thanksgiving Break!
I became much more informed about the FAM( Fertility Awareness Method) of birth control through these articles. Before, I had been a skeptic and thought that this method was old-fashioned and only used by extremely religious people. But now I’ve gained some helpful insight about this natural method of birth control. Using back-up barrier methods during a women’s fertile period is a very wise choice, in my opinion. Why not have another method in use, if a couple does not want to get pregnant? For me personally, I would rather have a safety net if my partner and I didn’t want to abstain during the fertility period. FAM has become a plausible option for me later in life, with the additional use of a barrier method during the fertility period.
One of the draws to the FAM method for me would be that I would get to know more about my body and become more in tune with my body. I feel that I would almost be forced to take better care of myself and my reproductive health, simply because I would be more involved in this aspect of my health. I like the idea that I would know what is normal for me, what is not, and then be able to inform my health care provider of these observations I had made. Instead of my ob-gyn telling me ” I’ve noticed some changes in your…”, I would be aware of these changes and help her figure out what is healthy or abnormal for me.
Another draw to FAM is the fact that it serves as both a form of birth control and a way to achieve pregnancy. When a couple becomes aware of the woman’s fertile phase, they will know when the best time is to try to conceive. If they are having sex during a less fertile period, it will be understood that the chances of conception are less likely.
I truly believe that the Fertility Awareness Method needs to occur in a loving, monogamous relationship in which both partners are willing to cooperate in the process. Having a partner wear a condom is not always an easy task, even though we all know, ” Just use it…Just wear it.” But the power dynamics in relationships do not always allow for one partner to insist the other partner wear a condom. Forced sex in relationships appears to be quite common, and according to one of the articles, “Women face harassment, abandonment, or physical violence if they insist on condom use.” If condom use is difficult, then the FAM would be even more difficult in these circumstances. Both partners needs to respect the need for abstinence or a barrier method during the fertile phase, otherwise the intent of the whole method fails. Therefore, in order for the Fertility Awareness Method to be effective and enjoyable for both parties, there needs to be an open, healthy, equally shared sexual relationship between the two people involved. It makes sense that FAM is often used by married couples, or at least couples in serious, monogamous relationships.
The article about barrier methods is in line with a lot of what we’ve already read about contraception as population control. The joint interest of the Catholic Church and natural health enthusiasts in the NFP method was interesting because such a similarity of opinion probably doesn’t happen too often. I also was struck by the point made in the article that natural family planning is the only contraceptive method that is useless to moneymaking enterprises; the fact that it doesn’t make any money for pharmaceutical companies (or anyone but manufacturers of thermometers) might have a lot more to do with its being ignored in mainstream contraceptive education as any lack of efficacy.
I was pretty shocked by Rodney Shearman’s statement about immunological contraceptives, or â€pregnancy vaccinesâ€: he called them an “antigenic weapon†against “the reproductive process, a process which left unchecked threatens to swamp the world.†First of all, the use of the term “vaccine†to refer to pregnancy seems way off to me—as does the analysis of reproduction, the most natural of human processes and that without which people would not exist, as something that will “swamp the world.†I didn’t expect to see such a statement from a scientist, but it seems like an example of someone getting so caught up in science and “progress†that humanity ceases to be an issue.
We’ve discussed earlier in the semester how contraceptives are frequently aimed at poor and minority women, often with little information, as a measure of population control; it is ironic then, that as the “On Their Own†article highlights, African-American women are among those most left behind and ignored by women’s health movements.
Byllye Avery’s shift in self-perception that led to her seeing herself more as a black woman was really interesting; it makes perfect sense that women who grow up in different parts of a society, with different norms and different opportunities and resources, would have different health needs. The unification of all women into a single whole, as has been attempted by much feminist thought, is a nice ideal; however, it’s a lot easier to accomplish on paper.
In order to avoid racism, differences between cultures must be acknowledged and understood, not ignored in an attempt to prove that “we’re all the same.†The need for organizations targeting African-American, Latina, Native American, and Asian women demonstrate that while women everywhere share the commonality of gender, their needs cannot be satisfied by one homogenous healthcare system.
As I’m writing this I’m trying to figure out a way to balance what I think and not sound like I’m bending too far in either the direction of all women as similar or women of different cultures as alien to one another. Truthfully I do (maybe too optimistically) believe in a sort of bond between all women that is there if it is cultivated; I think that women’s health clinics run by women are a great manifestation of women helping women and focusing on what they have in common. However, this connection does not override the diversity within the population; the concept of unity in this case can be a dangerous one because although it preaches a pleasant message, it makes it easy for women who are different than the perceived image of the “united†whole to fall through the cracks.
NFP seems like a great alternative to today’s conventional birth control methods – one of which, the pill, I have been on for almost 5 years now. Normally, I don’t like the idea of taking medications because it isn’t natural and I’d like keep things simple and my body healthy. However, the pill is something I feel like I need infortunately. I rarely miss a pill so I think this is the best protection I can have against an unwanted pregnancy. But what about when I want to get pregnant? That could be 10 more yrs! I know how hard it is for older women to get pregnant but adding that fact to years of absent ovulations frightens me. I want to keep all my options open.
By taking the pill, I feel like I’m choosing between having options now versus later in life.
I’d really like to try NFP but I’m concerned its effectiveness isn’t as great as the pill. In theory it works well, but there are so many factors that can effect a woman’s basal temperature and cervical mucus (the primary focus of the NFP technique). I’m not so confident that this method would really be liberating me.
Another attribute of the NFP method that I really like is the inclusion of the male partner into his partner’s health. In a healthy relationship, I think this technique would strengthen a relationship and, like article mentioned, increase a man’s respect for the woman and her body.
Women’s bodies are sometimes a mystery even to the women, nevermind the men! Men in our society are brought up to know very little about women’s bodies and that void in their knowledge ends up being filled with immature misconceptions and avoidance of women’s health needs.
By including men in the process of women’s health, women’s health and politics is strengthened. Women need not fight alone for women’s health. Men would be a great allie in the fight for womens’ health and rights but they are usually disenfranchised by the women’s movement.
I completely agree that it’s incredibly important that women are taking control of their health and caring for other women but I think it would be a stronger network if the movement included men as well.
The reading that I could really relate to out of the readings this week was Barrier Methods, Natural Family Planning, and Future Directions. “Tomorrows contraceptives must be safe in both short term and long term.†This is a quote that I took from this article, it really made me think. Mostly when people start birth control they talk about their short term complications and the long term complications are never really discussed. I really wish doctors would discuss these when they put us on birth control. I believe it is our society’s fault because we believe in don’t ask don’t tell system. Also, I don’t know how many of you guys are on birth control but I am. When I went to the doctors to ask what kind is right for me, and what would suit me the best, my nurse already had one lined up. It seemed as if anyone that walked in the door saying they wanted birth control would get the same answer I got. It seemed like my doctor didn’t put any thought into it, and the doctor’s office she works for probably has a deal with the pharmaceutical company that distributes this birth control. It is a horrible thought to think that our doctors and nurses are just putting patients on anytime of birth control that they are supposed to give out without really considering consequences. Luckily, the birth control really worked for me, but if it hadn’t what if something really bad happened to me?
Also, this article discusses Natural Family Planning, which is very interesting to me. I wish that doctors would inform patients about this, and try to teach them how to do this. If my doctor had explained to me about this thoroughly, I probably would have tried it for a while and not have had to take birth control pills. It just seems to me that our society only cares about money and how they can benefit from helping people. Also, with Natural Family Planning, I believe that this is important information for any female to know about their body. I started learning about it a few years ago from another class I took, and started looking up things on it. Now, anytime my friends have questions or are worried they might have gotten pregnant, they turn to me to figure out their fertile and infertile days. I really wish doctors and nurses would put more focus on this than what kind of pill we should take.
In the article “The Gynecologic Exam and the Training of Medical Students†a senior health education student discusses her experience as a teaching assistant, using her own body to teach medical students how the give a gynecologic exam. The goal of this hands on teaching using their own bodies, is to try and improve doctor and patient relations during a pelvic exam. She discusses the importance of explaining what you are doing and involving the patient in the examination, leaving the patient feeling less victimized. This idea of teaching medical students to be more sensitive to the needs of female patients, is an awesome idea. Using their own bodies to teach students helps with giving constructive criticism about how to act as a professional, how to be sensitive to the feelings of vulnerability and victimization of women, and how to create trust in the patient doctor relationship through discussion, inclusion in the exam, and reassuring touch. Medical students should be trained to meet both the physical and emotion needs of patients during an exam.
The idea of showing the patient their own cervix with a flashlight and mirror, helps to include women in their health care, demystifying the internal anatomy, and empowering women to take control of their own health through self cervical exams and self breast exams. This idea of self-help empowering women was also discussed in the article on feminist health clinics. I had heard about self cervical exams, using a speculum, and self breast exams in a prior women’s health class. We watched a video where a women teaches a small group of women, how to do these breast and cervical self exams and then discussing their feelings about taking their health into their own hands. We also watched another video where a women explains how to make and use a simple pump (a syringe), a tube, and a glass jar to procure a first trimester abortion. The idea behind this is that it is less expensive, and less traumatic because there is no vacuum aspiration instead it uses a pump action that is monitored by the woman herself. It is a very controversial idea, but at the same time has the same goal of empowering women to take their health into their own hands.
The natural family planning method has been of interest to me for a long time. The first time I heard about it was in high school, when my sister had a friend who was allergic to latex and the sheep skin condoms, and got really sick when she tried the pill, so she tried the natural family planning method. This method worked really well for her, and she said it helped her be in tune with her body. This is also an interesting concept, trying to listen to what your body tells you, being in touch and in tune with your body can also help women empower themselves by managing their own contraception and fertility.
Personally, I do not really look forward to a visit to my gynecologist for several reasons. One, I feel that the doctor does his or her business quickly and tells me nothing about what is going on down there, or if they do it is confusing medical jargon. Secondly, I think it is a very uncomfortable situation because I feel awkward and shy. This experience could be a little more enjoyable for me if the doctor maybe offered a mirror so I could look at what the doctor is doing, as was mentioned in “The gynecologic exam and the training of medical students.†Doctors could also talk about what exactly they are going to do so I know what to expect. Every woman has to see a gynecologist and this process should not be something that many of us dread. One thing that really creeps me out is the “stirrups†that you have to put your feet into. It is a very strange position and all the equipment seems so hard, cold, and industrial. I think the major way to improve a woman’s outlook about a visit to the gyno is having doctors become more aware of their patients and involve them in the process. Many women never look at their vagina because of fear, shame, or embarrassment, but if we are encouraged to embrace our bodies and to accept what we have I think that our society as a whole will become more comfortable with our entire bodies and women may not dread the gyno as many do now.
Truthfully, I had no idea what natural family planning was until reading this week’s readings, but it is so interesting and amazing that we can use our bodies to prevent pregnancy or have a baby. I have been on birth control in the past, and when I went to the doctors natural family planning was never offered to me as an option and I am a little confused as to why this is. As I have been reading more and more about this contraceptive option it becomes more and more appealing. Some of the advantages that I can really appreciate are that it costs next to nothing, causes no side affects, encourages participation by both partners, and it is comforting to know that I am not putting harsh chemicals and hormones into my body.
It was reassuring to read the article about menstrual cycles because my period has never been regular and many times my period comes every five weeks or so. I could relate to this article when it was talking about a woman who would take a pregnancy test around 28 days in fear that she was pregnant only to get her period a few days later because I have done the same exact thing. It was about a month after my last period and there was still no sign of menstruation so I immediately began stressing out and rushed to the health center and got a pregnancy test just to make sure that I was not pregnant. Strangely, even when I am not sexually active and my period has not come after 28 days I still start to stress out because we hear so much about our period coming every 28 days and I always feel that there is something wrong with me because I have a longer cycle than most women. The only advantage of taking birth control pills for me was that my period was finally regulated, but I would rather sacrifice a regular period than put foreign hormones into my body and constantly be a rollercoaster of emotions.
Reading about barrier contraceptives was eye opening for me because I realized that our society does indeed brush these types of contraceptives—condoms, spermicides, diaphragms, and cervical cap—under the rug when they have so many advantages and are often much safer than the pill, shots, and implants. Barrier contraceptives need to be encouraged and brought back into the mainstream sexual culture because there are no major side effects, they do not cause delay in or risk to fertility after cessation, they are cheap, and most importantly in my opinion, they help protect people against sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV/AIDS. As one of the article mentions, many people are focusing their attention to barrier methods and doing research because more and more people are finally becoming aware of the harmful side effects of other modern methods of contraception. The information that I have been given about contraceptive options cons me into thinking that barrier methods are not as effective as other kinds, but I feel this is a myth because when used correctly they can have an extremely high success rate in preventing pregnancy and most help prevent against STIs. Doctors in a way trick people into thinking that by taking the pill or getting a shot will prevent you from all the dangers of sexual activity, but they should really stress the fact that these options offer no protection against STIs. When I used to get birth control from my doctor she never really stressed that I was not protected against STIs, and although I was well aware of this fact, I still wish that she and other doctors would make it blatantly clear that people really need to use some kind of barrier contraceptive. STIs are on the rise on college campuses and people wonder why, but we are so focused on the pill and shots and implants that we forget that we need to also take into consideration the barrier contraceptive options and use them. Last year I took several public health classes where we discussed the importance of getting tested and practicing safe sex, so I went to health services and got tested because hearing these constant messages truly impacted me and changed the way I thought about my sexual health. Hopefully by frequently stressing the importance of barrier contraceptives we will be able to increase the usage of barrier methods among young people and start to see some promising results.
Every time I turn on the television set, I feel as if I am bombarded with commercial after commercial of pharmaceutical companies shoving birth control pills down my throat. These images show beautiful girls who are running around, enjoying their lives because they are on a pill that not only will enable them to be sexually active without any worries, but will also clear up acne, decrease bloat, and treat emotional and physical premenstrual symptoms! Even by googling an ad for Yaz, a hormonal birth control pill, the first sentence of the advertisement is “take action and go beyond birth control with Yaz”. In my eyes I believe that pharmaceutical companies and gynecologists are constantly forcing hormonal birth control pills, shots, and implants on women as being the only available form of contraception and not informing women of the other choices that they may have.
I had previously been on the pill for five years and told my doctor that I was going to stop taking it because I had broken up with my boyfriend and was no longer currently sexually active. I told her I was concerned with being on synthetic hormones for such a long time and I wanted to take a break from the pill. My doctor just about died after I told her that. She stressed the “safety†of remaining on the pill, bolstering that it has been known to protect against ovarian and uterine cancer and she stressed that I remain on the pill and not stop taking it. She also did not offer any other options of birth control methods for me and wrote me out another yearly prescription for my birth control pill.
Looking back on that experience I am angry with my doctor for not providing me with information on different types of contraceptive methods. I have never even heard of natural family planning as a method of birth control until I began taking this class, and the more I learn about this form of birth control, the more I believe this method is the right method for me. I love the fact that I have control over my body and reproductive capabilities and that I am no longer relying on synthetic hormones to stop ovulation.
In response to the article The Gynecologic Exam and the Training of Medical Students I wish more Universities took part in teaching their gynecologic residents to improve communication between the physician and the patient. I have been to many gynecologists and as a patient care assistant had to assist residents performing gynecological exams and not once in my career or in my lifetime have I ever seen a doctor help “activate†the patient in her exam.
I do see why the author of this article writes about the importance of activating the patient so they feel less victimized during the gynecological exam. When I go to the doctors, I lie back, with my heels in uncomfortable stirrups while my gynecologist talks to my vagina and not my face. The visit is so embarrassing and uncomfortable that I often dread going to my gynecologist and wait for the exam to be over as quickly as possible. I believe that I wouldn’t feel this amount of stress and anxiety if I too was able to participate in this exam. I would love to be able to see my cervix and be able to know what my own reproductive parts look like. As of now I do not feel comfortable with that part of my anatomy, mainly because of the way I have been treated while being examined. I would love to have a sense of control over my own body during this uncomfortable examination process.
Like many of the women who have posted comments, thinking about a visit to the gynecologist makes my stomach turn. Don’t get me wrong, my doctor is such a sweet woman, but sometimes, what happens in the exam room is so fast, its over before I even know it. Like Mclovin said above, my doctor talks to my vagina and not my face. The article regarding teaching medical students how to perform gynecological exams really opened my eyes. I have never once been offered a mirror, asked if I wanted the back of the table to be raised up some so I could see what was going on. I have never felt like my annual exam has been interactive, or as though I have been an “active patient”. According to the article, those are things that medical students are supposed to be taught. Are they simply not being taught these things? Or do they choose not to do them? I have heard horror stories about women going to the gynecologist–feeling uncomfortable, being in pain, being clueless, feeling judged, feeling rushed, not feeling comfortable enough to ask questions..etc. This is wrong, and it needs to stop.
I will agree with McLovin again in saying that I am angry too because I was never offered another form of birth control other than a hormonal kind. I was 17 years old, in the gynecologist office, feeling extremely uncomfortable, and my only options were the pill, the Nuva Ring, or Depo Provera. I really didn’t know any better. I thought that everyone who was using a contraceptive was using a hormonal kind, such as the pill. I was never told about an IUD, a cervical cap, or any other form of barrier method. I was never fully educated on the various forms of birth control, and I don’t think that’s right either.
Before my very first visit to the gynecologist, I was talking to my mom about how I was nervous.. wouldn’t it be awkward? This woman that I’ve never met before is going to see my vagina and examine it.. my mom responded with “oh don’t worry.. they see vaginas all day.. once they’ve seen one vagina, they’ve seen them all..” Is that really how an ob-gyn thinks of their patients? As JUST a vagina? I realize that with experience, and constantly doing exams, one would tend to get used to it, but I think it’s important to say that a doctor should realize that you’re more than just a vagina.. you’re a person! And you deserve to be informed, educated, and able to make choices regarding your own body, what goes in to it, and what is going on with it.
I actually have had very positive experiences with my OB-GYN, who is a female physician at University Health Services. I do not dread my annual gynecological exams at all, because she is very thorough and answers all my questions to the best of her ability. She was kind enough to put warm fleece booties on the cold, metal stirrups to enhance the patient’s comfort. I really respect her, because she explains what she is checking for, what looks normal or abnormal to her, and what she recommends for healthy maintenance of my reproductive organs. I felt well-informed and engaged in my health and left the appointment with a sense of confidence and more knowledge about myself and reproductive health. I think it is important to find a doctor that you click with and really includes the patient in the process of examination, treatment, prevention, and general education.
The ideal is that all doctors should be this way, but unfortunately this is not the case. Hopefully teaching methods such as what was mentioned in ” The Gynecological Exam and the Training of Medical Students” will help doctors-to-be look at their patients as people, instead of objects. Constructive feedback will lead to improvement and more sensitivity from physicians. I think that such a private area as the reproductive organs needs to be respected and treated with care, and the patient should be put at ease. This can be done by the physician explaining what they are doing, providing the patient with a mirror to view the exam, and educating the patient about how they can self-monitor the health of their own reproductive organs. Personally, my current OB-GYN is the first health care provider who truly made me feel like an ” activated patient” and its a really great relationship we have. But I think it would be even better if more people enjoyed their relationship with their health-care provider, and it was two people interacting and sharing knowledge. After all, it is our bodies we are dealing with….so we are quite knowledgeable about them. A sharing back and forth between doctor and patient would be a more healthy dynamic, rather than the doctor dictating what needs to be done, without any inclusion of the patient’s thoughts or feelings.
Back in the day, I attended a giant skill share in the Boston area. A skill share is where people get together and exchange skills for free in an informal setting. The point being that people can educate and help one another without needing degrees to teach, thus paving the way to building a sustainable community. Examples of past workshops include things from indoor gardening, to sex toy making 101. One of the workshops I went to on a whim was titled something along the lines of speculums not bombs. I had no idea what I was in for. I walked into a room filled with other women. We all sat on the floor together facing the leaders of the workshop. They called themselves the “Boston Health Collectiveâ€. I hadn’t ever been to a gynecologist let alone had a real in depth sex ed class. The teachers talked to use about things we wanted to learn about. Their whole philosophy was really similar ideologies which the feminist health clinics were based upon. At the end of the skill share, one of the teachers demonstrated how to do a vaginal self exam. She got on the floor and put a speculum in her vagina and got a mirror and talked about finding the os and looking at the cervix and told us that if we wanted to we could go up close and look. I came out of that skill share changed. I think I still carry part of it with me today. It was pretty much the most amazing health related experience i’ve ever had and a large part why i’m interested in women’s health. I came out with a speculum, more empowered and more aware of my body. From that point I wanted to arm women with knowledge and speculums.
I made a gynecologist appointment for the first time last year. My only preference was that it was a female doctor. I was mildly nervous. I had heard horror stories from my friends, they’d always make the classic “at least take me out to dinner first†joke when talking about their experiences. overall, it went well and i was pleased. My doctor was very knowledgeable and considerate. She explained what she was going to do before she did it, in a way that i could understand. But after reading the articles for this week, I felt a little dissatisfied with the experience. the “into our own hands†article gave examples of what my ideal experience would’ve been like. for example, giving me an option to hold a mirror and flashlight would have been appreciated. I think that if people were given control over the medical processes, or at least able to see what only the doctor sees, as the article said, it would serve as demystification of the procedure and help empower the patient. I would like to be able to see what I’m trying to keep safe and healthy, thereby giving the decisions I make with my body have more meaning… Like, oh that’s my vagina. I only have one. I better use it wisely. I remember an appointment at my orthodontist back in the day. I had my braces on for an insanely long period of time. I was growing increasingly impatient with my orthodontist, feeling that there was no dental benefits for me, just aesthetics at that point and him capitalizing off my smile. Point being, i was in the chair. He told me to open wide, I did. Then all of a sudden there were maybe about 3 pairs of hands in my mouth doing something or other, i still have no idea. I have a small mouth and they were choking me! I started to gag. That made them stop. Then after they stopped i began to get visibly upset. They hadn’t explained anything to me, didn’t caution me. they treated me as if my mouth was somehow detached from the rest of my body. they made me really uncomfortable and feel so powerless. Almost simultaneously when i started to cry my orthodontist told me that i was finally ready to get my braces off. What a jerk! (i’m still bitter). I can’t fathom how awful it must be to have this kind of mentality exercised in terms of gyno exams, breast exams, etc.
I really enjoyed Schmidt’s article about teaching medical students. There is certainly a vulnerability when you’re (basically) naked, up in stirrups being prodded with cold metal tools. Which is why thought it was really right on point that all the student had to disrobe and sit in the stirrups themselves, in addition to having to role-play being the patient. Men have never had a gyno appointment, they don’t know what it’s like and I think if they didn’t experience that sense of vulnerability then there’s a high possibility of developing a not positive attitude. While granted, for example, a brain surgeon more than likely has never had brain surgery performed on themselves, they can’t understand how the patient feels… but they can at least try.
This week’s articles were all especially interesting and very provoking on a number of issues. Reading about how a gynecologist should approach an exam and “activate” their patient to feel respect and control over their body is not something I have experienced and from reading other women’s comments and the articles, it is obviously not a priority for many physicians in our society. I remember going to my doctor for birth control when I was seventeen and being given a quick exam, where I thought I was going to die of embarrassment, and then immediately written a prescription for yasmin without discussion of any other birth control methods. My doctor was very positive about this new brand of the pill and mentioned how it would help prevent cervical cancer. At the time I felt fairly informed and comfortable with being on the pill because I used condoms and I also really trusted my doctor and felt whatever she recommended would naturally be the safest, best option for me individually.
However, now having been exposed to much more information and being more mature I feel like there is something hugely wrong with how physicians interact with female patients. I realize it it harsh to stereotype all physicians as being insensitive and judgemental of women’s issues, but it’s an overwhelming fact that our society does not discuss women’s health or portray women’s bodies in a positive, respectful way; nevermind empowerment! Our basic reproductive processes are excessively medicalized and treated as diseases, therefore we are bombarded with biomedical solutions and prescription drugs over natural remedies for the sake of profit. Also we constantly see women’s bodies objectified and dismembered throughout every aspect of the media, it is not surprising that even gynecologists could view a patient strictly as a vagina and ignore her emotional needs, and also need for preventative care.
“Health Clinics as Feminist Practice” was interesting and inspiring to read about how ordinary women in grass roots organizations had such an impact on empowering women to make informed decisions regarding their reproductive/sexual health. However when I read “On Their Own,” I thought much more about the importance of professional and non-professional women working together to provide holistic health care to all women. This article dicussed how the women’s health movement failed to include the intersection of race and class in their objectives, and allowed them to focus on criticizing professionalism within their intentionally limited community.
I think activists focusing on professionalism and organizational hierarchy as a negative aspect is as detrimental as physicians focusing on biomedicine as the only option of care. I thought both groups were supposed to operate based on the fundamental idea that health care is about improving and providing health care for the greater good…these other ideals are clearly interfering with implementing this ideology.
Exclusiveness of all women within health clinics is definitely empowering and perhaps the best way to make women feel more comfortable about their bodies and health and asking questions. Talking about our experiences together is the best way for us to understand about our bodies and discuss health remedies and NFP. But I think too that excluding men, and women of color, just further alienates women’s issues from discussion within communities. This doesn’t help to foster awareness and a safer environment for women, it just continues to perpetuate misunderstanding of the issues and confusion about men’s roles and responsibilities within both the private and political.
I too almost immediately dismissed the natural family planning method simply because i believed that it was almost exclusively for people who really didnt believe in taking drugs. I never gave it much credibility because I thought it left so much space for error and miscalculation. It seemed so outdated that I immediately went on the pill as soon as I could. Of course, no one informed me about what it really was, the benefits of it, its relative rate of efficiency or anything else. In retrospect, I have not taken birth control pills for 3 years, and I am irritated and angry with myself for taking them in the first place, when there is a method that doesnt increase your susceptibility to blood clots, heart attacks, strokes… and im sure the list will only get longer the more research is done on them looking long term.
I think that I dont spend enough time really appreciating how intricate our bodies really are. I have somewhat recently (within the last 8 months) have tried to cut out most preservatives in my diet, not taking medication unless necessary…basically just trying to be the healthiest that i can be (realistically haha) by not ingesting things that might disrupt the body’s natural balance. There is something oddly gratifying about doing things without the help of man-made chemicals. On the same note, this practice of “knowing your body” is something that from these readings and from this class in general I really would like to try. I know the hormonal peaks and valleys, I could graph a all phases of the cycle, but being able to know your body like clock work on a personal level is something that i think would empower anyone.
Ohhh the gynecologist. Definitely not something you look forward to like a friday night. I have to say, my own personal experiences with the gynecologist were pretty typical i think from what i have heard from friends my age. Just the bare minimum of conversation with the usual scripted joke to “cut the tension” when both know that doesnt work. Our bodies are so complicated, why does going to the gyno always turn out so routine? I always think back to not knowing AT ALL what to expect when i went the first time. It wasnt something my mom ever talked to me about, and I was too nervous to ask a friend, since most hadnt ever been either. I would have liked to know that when they check your cervix, it feels like your back and your uterus are splitting, I would have liked to know that cervical cells can change and why, I would have liked to know what that large duck looking contraption was, where it was going and be reassured that I would be ok. I would also have liked to know about the side affects of the pill as well as alternative methods of birth control instead of being given a prescription that i would use for the next 4 years without really knowing what i was putting into my body
It is clear that changes need to be made in most aspects of our health care system as evident in this weeks readings. The first step in making significant change is obvious: knowledge. If people arent aware of the obstacles facing women today, things will never change for the better. The grassroots organizations in “Health Clinics as Feminist Practices” have created a template that should be replicated, both to strengthen our communities, break down barriers, and create better and more comprehensive care for our children.
I also found Hartmann’s article quite interesting, especially in her critique of donor agencies and the research community in pushing profit-motivated contraceptive research over research that would have the most impact on the health and safety of the majority of women around the world. One thing I found a little off-putting about her arguments for both barrier methods and especially NFP were her claims that they were more safe for women that hormonal contraceptives in areas where they could be used consistently and where women have access to safe and legal abortion services. While that may be true in theory, it seems unlikely that the majority of women have access to both a steady supply of one-time use barriers (such as condoms or spermicide), a power-dynamic with their partner where the consistent use of barriers or NFP is possible, or, more importantly, access to legal and safe abortions. Even thinking about this within the United States, where we theoretically should have a high-level of access to both forms of birth control, it is often difficult to rely on barrier methods, especially female barrier methods (female condoms being difficult to not only find but afford for may women, and diaphragms requiring at least two office visits and a practice period before a woman can utilize this method). There is also limited access to abortion services for many women, and cost, transportation, and occasionally legal factors (such as parental consent or notification) may prevent women from being able to access them. I don’t mean to argue that barrier methods or NFP do not have a place in pregnancy-prevention education and promotion, but I do feel that hormonal forms of birth control, especially easily reversible ones such as the pill, can be a very sound and safe option for many women, and can be incredibly effective when combined with barrier methods. Although it is true that this argument is only from the point of view of pregnancy prevention – if looking to protect women from HIV/AIDS and other STDs, then certainly barrier methods are the most important form of contraceptive to promote.
I also very much enjoyed the emphasis in Morgen’s two chapters on women’s empowerment through advocacy and through feminists taking control of women’s health services and education. After reading about the lack of resources and advocacy for reproductive health issues for women of color in this course, it was great to be able to read about examples of women tackling this issue and sharing their experiences of what worked and what didn’t work, and giving some level of framework for how the promotion of reproductive health and of empowerment can potentially be accomplished. I was especially impressed with the level of openness and transparency these agencies operated with, and with the level of patient-centered care many of the clinics provided. The National Black Women’s Health Project in particular appeared to operate itself in full awareness of many of the organizational issues that had blocked opportunities for advocacy, empowerment, and promotion of the specific reproductive health concerns of women of color, and in facing these issues as they arose within their organization to remain as true and responsible to the needs of the women they served, they seemed to be a model organization for promoting social change as well as health service provision.
“The Gynecologic Exam and Training of Medical Students”, despite its legnth, was the reading that really got me thinking for a few different reasons. First of all it made me think of TA’s in a whole new way! I had no idea that people could work as TA’s for a medical student class and act as an actual patient. I am not really sure what I thought that students did before I read this article, I guess I just never thought about where and how they practiced their techniques. I know that some of the practice in medical school is done on cadavors that have been donated to science but those are simple procedures like giving stitches. I did not think about exams that you would really need a live patient, especially internal exams. A second thing that I really liked about this article and about the idea of an “active” TA is that it really helps the doctor work on their doctor-patient relationships. The author mentions that the feedback she gives is not related to mechanics but to how well the student communicated with her and how well he or she attended to her emotional needs. She says that she looks at whether or not the student is aware of her facial expressions, to see if something was uncomfortable, or if the student is just mearly practicing the procedure they have learned from a book. I think that this is very important for medical students to learn and practice. Medical students can be some of the smartest people of their generations and can learn out of the book all day long, but if they cannot transfer that knowledge to work on an actual patient then they are useless. Many people have had poor doctor experiences because they felt that the doctor had no people skills, I certainly have. I can remember crying as an early teenager at the dermatologist with acne because the male doctor I went to had no comprehension of how difficult a thing this was for a young girl to be going through. It is very important for doctors to learn how to be compasionate and how to help a patient relax. Another reason why I really liked this article is because I am a pre-med student and plan on going to medical school in a couple of years. I knew that they taught medical students to be compasionate and aware of their patients feelings but I didn’t know how, and I think that this is a great way to work on that tehnigue. Being a women’s studies major it was really interesting to see how this author participated in a class to help these students, while she was being examined over and over again. I’m not sure that I would be able to do what she did, but I think her job is necessary and I commend her for doing so. Going to the gyneologist for the first time recently I can relate to a lot of the things that the TA was trying to teach the students and what she was telling them was most important. She mentioned that it helped her to be at ease to hold the spectrum and practice using it on a model, I agree. While I did not practice with it I was made to hold it, and even though this was a little awkard it was indeed very calming and I felt much better about the procedure.
As far as natural family planning goes, i have never heard of it in my life before taking this class. It has never been mentioned as a common and effective method of birth control, let alone encouraged as an approach i should take. Being on the pill was the only method used by friends and others i knew, though i was aware of a few others. Even when i spoke to my doctor about going onto birth control, the pill was actually the ONLY method i was told about, as if it were my only option. Since i did not know any better and i wasnt educated on any other form, I of course went on the pill, after all if a doctor suggested it that must be best. I despised being on the pill, i felt i gained so much weight. I wish i had known taking a hormonal method as birth control was not on my option, because i know for a fact i most likely would not have opted to choose it. Doctors today need to be more open with their female patients, giving them better answers and information for such concerns as their bodies. As said in one of the articles as well as above, doctors and gynocologists are tending to speak to their patients as bodies or vaginas, and not as people with concerns and questions and interest. Women should not be made to feel uncomfortable or awkard leaving the gyno, and they should be able to feel like they can ask whatever they want about their bodies and get an answer. Going to the doctor about birth control was an experience of “this is what you take” for me, not an open conversation about options and what would be best for me, or even an environment where i felt comfortable to ask further questions, and that to me is not how it should be.
First of all, I think that it is interesting how many people are currently taking birth control, but it does not surprise me either. Personally, I have been off birth control for two years now for several reasons, mostly related to how it effects my body, but I am convinced that proper use of barrier methods is just as effective and has little to no side effects. Birth control has always been an interesting topic for me to discuss since I am not sure exactly where I stand, but in regards to my body, I feel much better when I am not messing with my hormones. However, in regards to preventing disease such as STD’s or HIV/AIDS, I believe that barrier methods are the best solution.
I just recently did a presentation on AIDS/HIV in another class and after reading through several chapters on the topic, in a book called “Evolution of Infectious Disease”, it was evident that not only is HIV/AIDS highly preventable, but the author discussed how treatment is really only delaying the enivitable or making the disease more virulent. Although this seems like a harsh conclusion, it relates back to the importance of barrier methods, especially in third world countries, where this disease is much more rampant. By funding programs that promote abstinence or even contraceptives, we are not focusing on the problem at hand, which is that people are having unprotected sex and need to be educated on how to have safe sex via barrier methods for males and females.
Overall, I believe that it is wonderful that women have the accessability to birth control however, it is also essential to provide education regarding safe sex, which includes a form of a barrier method in conjunction with contraceptives. Funding needs to be focused on this type of education as well as promoting self awareness through understanding the body. However, profit seems to come into play when dealing with methods such as NFP, since it cuts out the pharmaceutical industry as well as the medical profession. One begins to wonder the true goals of the funding provided and who is profiting from these different methods of birth control.
As a pre-med student planning on potentially making a change in the medical profession, I strongly believe in the importance of putting healthcare in the hands of the patient and opening people up to being comfortable with their bodies, through understanding how they work. There needs to be a shift away from medicine’s connection with the pharmaceutical industry and more towards preventative care. Treating an isolated symptom seems much more costly and inefficient as opposed to preventing these issues from the beginning. On that note, I am determined to promote dialogue between women regarding these issues, in order for people to see multiple perspectives as well as experiences. In turn, this will allow women to make the best educated decisions for their bodies.
I thought the readings for this week were interesting because they tied together the different aspects about women’s health that we have learned throughout the semester. In the article, “The gynecologic exam,” the TA who helped to train medical students is very brave for doing what she did. I know there were many times where she must have felt a little awkward but I think she handled the situations very well. I think that this sort of training is great for medical students. Most of the time it seems like when in training you are just taught procedure and how to do things by specifics rather than taking into account the psychological aspect. I think the patient’s comfortableness and understanding of the procedure is the most important thing because the patient should know what is going on. If a patient does not know what is going on, I think that just adds to the fear that the might already have in just going to the doctor in general. Using the mirror to allow the patient to see what the doctor is doing and propping their head up is a great way to allow the patient to be involved with their own bodies. The use of TA’s using their own bodies enables the medical students to learn the importance of patient-doctor relationships and will help them to continue this in their future work. I just switched to a nurse practitioner who I think is wonderful with me. She is very understanding and always makes me feel very comfortable by explaining everything and using language that is not confusing.
After reading “Barrier Methods, natural family planning, and future directions,” I learned that barrier methods are not being used as much as I thought they would be around the world. I also learned about natural family planning and how effective it is. With the scare of catching diseases and AIDs I would think that condoms and other methods would be encouraged more. I feel as though these are a great backup method to contraceptives and even have less side effects. The statistic that surprised me was that 2% of contraceptive users worldwide use female barrier methods and only 6% use condoms. Those numbers are extremely small, knowing that the risk of catching a disease is very possible. I think it is horrible that women have to be emabarssed to use these methods or forced by men to not use them when they have more of a chance to catch sexual diseases. For some,the use of barrier methods could be awkward at times but I would think that being embarassed is not as serious as catching AIDS. I feel that the family planning method could be a useful way to prevent pregnancy between two people who are committed to each other. I agree with Aaa1313 in almost thinking that NFP was not useful but this is because I vaguely heard about it and would think that other factors could effect the way the body works and could cause them to get pregnant. One thing that was horrible to me is that many of the women in other countries would describe that the abstinence period did not work because of the husbands and that they would force their wives to have sex. That is extremely selfish and horrible to think a husband would do that to his wife when they should be working together in preventing a pregnancy.
The courage of TA Judith Schmidt in her story The Gynecologic Exam and the Trainingof Medical Students leaves me thinking. I personally would not be able to do what she does, she’s special. The role that she takes to become an “active patient” is of outmost importance in educating new doctors. Ever since my first gynecological exam I’ve felt as I am pretty much a piece of meat and I’ve heard the same from other women. The difference to have these doctors educated in this way brings back hope, hope for the empowerment it would give women on their own bodies and self-esteem!
As we come closer to the end of the semester, I am realizing that one of the biggest lessons that this class and the readings we do for them have taught me is the importance, even the NEED to take your health into your own hands. Many of the readings for this week focused not only on NFP but the empowerment of women who have taken a leading role in their health care. I was truly inspired by the article “On Their Own: Women of Color and the Women’s Health Movement” which detailed the development of several women’s health organizations in Southern California that focused on the needs of women of color. The accounts of these women who pushed the boundaries and limits of their own health care systems to create a welcoming community which had the specific intention of SERVING them really got me thinking. It seems that the perception of health care in the U.S. is geared more toward this notion of privilege rather than RIGHTS. We put health care professionals on this ridiculously high pedestal creating a hugely stratified environment in which both the patient and doctor live in. The problem with this is that, unlike the women in “On their Own” we often DONT feel inspired to take matters into our own hands. Things seem so set in stone: if the doctor says such and such, he/she MUST be right, and we MUST follow their instructions. There is no room for questions, for participation on the patient’s behalf in this type of scenario, which has bred a sentiment of inaction by the patient. Health care should be a service, and the system SHOULD be able to SERVE everyone, this includes pharmaceutical companies, clinics, hospitals, doctors, nurses, insurance agencies, you name it. This system of professionals exist to take care of other people, and yet, this truth is not often played out in reality. Instead there seems to be this idea that if doctors are involved more with a patient and patients become “activated patients” then doctors will some how become lesser, or have nothing more to do. I personally value a doctor’s opinion greatly, but i have now come to realize the VITAL concept of enabling myself to take care of my own health; that I can do my own research and ask around and read and THEN go to a doctor and facilitate a DIALOGUE between the two of us. That is what healthcare should look like, a facilitated dialogue of sorts. This can also be expanded into the way we think about birth control. As many above have mentioned their experiences with talk ing about birth control with their doctor, it can often be an uncomfortable and unwelcoming experience. Unwelcoming in the sense that your own opinion about your own reproductive health is often ignored and your questions remain unanswered(see Eavsie31, Aaa1313, McLovin etc…). The idealized dialogue is also hindered by what Mclovin has already described as “being bombarded” with commercials from Pharmaceutical companies advertising new prescription methods of birth control. This ignores the option of NFP and we are left thinking that barrier methods and NFP are somehow lesser, worse, or ineffective as compared to prescription methods, bc theyre not getting as much air-time on t.v., and there are no magazine ads for the Billings method. The point is, when talking about birth control, we still have the option of putting more money into research about barrier methods and NFP and talking more about these methods, thereby decreasing the spread of STD’s. All hope is not lost–we just need a SERIOUS change in the way we think about health care.
The only type of “self help” groups aimed at educating women in my neighborhood were informal friendship based relationships i had growing up. My friends and I would discuss sex and different health topics like our period. I think everyone did that or had some sort of relationship like that with the people they grew up with. My neighborhood and the schools i attended growing up were so diverse. I feel like for all women in my community, white, black, hispanic, asian- sex health and a lot of womens health related topics were shied away from. It wasn’t just a white issue, it really wasn’t an issue at all. I think Avery, in developing these self help groups especially in women’s african american community is so important because of the issue of empowerment. Talking about these issues openly, without being held back, is what all women should have the opportunity to do.
On the barrier methods article: the research i did at the beginning of the semester for the evaluating methods of contraception assignment, i found that barrier methods such as spermicides and foams really aren’t that effective in preventing pregnancy and obviously preventing STDs and STIs. Yes, they are safe and reversible but when it comes down to it i, along with millions of other women, would rather take the pill over using these forms of contraception. With the issue of natural family planning, i really don’t think i’m that organized or that disciplined to record everything about my body. im actually very lazy and so are all of my friends. I don’t see any one of my friends doing this kind of birth control. I think partially the issue is abstaining from sex. Sex really is such a routine part of my life since i was 16. The more convenient the birth control method or the easiest it is for myself and my girlfriends is what is used. I might change my mind later as i get older and become more in tune with my body but for right now I’m just fine with my oral contraceptives.
I really enjoyed the article on training medical students for the gynecologic exam. I think it is really important to make patients feel comfortable at the gyno because I am 20 and some of my friends who have been sexually active for years still have yet to visit the gyno. They are hesitant and put it off because of bad stories other people have passed on to them about being uncomfortable, etc. One of my friends has a gyno who judges her and makes comments on her sexual preferences. I think this article is awesome and hope that all training will turn to this. This woman’s job is very important and I am glad she stressed to her friends it was not about money but more about knowing that she was helping to change the medical field and her job could change peoples experience at the gynecologist. It makes me happy to see how much of the training is focused on the patient and what makes them comfortable and what makes them uncomfortable. For her to tell the male doctor that his groin up against her leg made her uncomfortable must have been very embarrassing and hard but at the same time if she never told him how would he know? And if she didn’t tell him many patients in the future could mistake the accident for something else. I personally have never been offered a mirror to see what was going on and get to understand my anatomy and never even thought about it until this article and I wish I had gotten that oppurtunity, but I will never request to use one or ask because personally that just makes me uncomfortable and nervous but if I was offered I would accept.
The most interesting reading to me was also(as Floyd) the barrier methods and natural family planning. If combined with one another they could work nicely in preventing both STDs and unwanted pregnancy. Even though the nowadays agencies better promotes the use of technological birth control such as oral contraceptives, that does not shutdown the reality about barriers methods combined with the natural family planning could save lives. On the other hand, the oral contraceptives all that they are is preventing pregnancies which in most cases ends up in life threatening consequences such as infertility or even cancer. A woman is at risk when using these methods. As it was mentioned in the article it should be an individual choice, but that does not mean that agencies that make these methods to prevent both pregnancies and STDs have a strong influenced on the choice that women make through their promotion and advertisement.
Another thing that I was thinking also when reading this article was about which group are most benefited by each of these methods, the agency making them or the women who use them? For example, for the pills and the oral contraceptives, the agencies in my opinion are the ones that most benefits. They are the ones collecting huge economy from these oral contraceptives which are a quiet expensive in comparison with the barrier methods. Another aspect is that, women who used them alone are the ones that run the risk of getting STDs, infertility or even cancer. To me, women need to be educated about how to use the barrier methods so they can be more effective, which could decrease their failure rate. Finally, if combined with the natural family planning which allows the women to get to know their physiologies and the processes that happens in their bodies, they are the best option if two sexual partners are deciding to get intimate.
I also loved the article Taking Control of Your Reproductive Health. I have often wondered aloud about why contraception, with the exception of male condoms, is all on women. Cowans fake report of a new contraception for men and the listing of side effects is hilarious. Men would freak out. Depression from contraception stopping their sexual appetite? No way! Blood and cramps? I personally get cramps really badly and my boyfriend and I have been together for two years so we ( or better yet I) feel comfortable saying something along the lines of “No I can’t my cramps are so bad” and he will retaliate saying something along the lines of “Oh ya ok..cramps” in a sarcastic tone and I ALWAYS says “If you even knew what it felt like what was going on in my body”. I wish he could, and all the other men so they would understand what our “little” cramps are like. Does anyone notice that women have to deal with all of these side effects and men deal with what? They don’t even have to pay for the contraception whether it is the monthly pill or the Deprovera. When the reason of none of the options being worth it was being described and all the negatives were listed I couldn’t believe how bad it makes sound birth control sound, It was so negative! I have also heard of the Day 14 plan and actually believed that my highest fertility was on the 14th day and after reading this I feel so naive! I really loved this article and the way it presented its argument. It was enjoyable, funny, and informative!!!
I loved all the articles from this week. I think it extremely important that women start critically examining hormonal forms of birth control. Personally, when I started taking birth control I never viewed it as a serious decision regarding my personal health. Instead, I saw going on birthcontrol as a normal thing for someone my age. In the last few months, I’ve stopped taking birth control because while taking this class I’ve realized what a huge decision and impact it is on someone’s health. I think that our culture has the misperception that taking birth control is no big deal and that the benefits outweigh the consequences. Yet, this perception is wrong. The focus needs to go back to the individual patient and the decision must be based on the individual’s needs and desires rather than the perception that all sexually active young women should take birth control.
Also, I love the article discussing the much dreaded trip to the gynocologist…. Personally, I love the fact that a woman doctor has the confidence to allow medical students to practise on her. That is the type of feedback doctors need and never get. Seriously, we need to take our health into our own hands and stop our feelings of fear and insecurity when it comes to our health. it’s time we took back our health. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of your doctor or let them know you feel uncomfortable during a visit because by withholding that information from your doctor, they will never learn how cold or invasive they may be acting. Yes, many doctors won’t be receptive to constructive criticism but without it, they’re never be hope that they will take it. Personally, I have had type 1 diabetes since I was 13 years old… and at the age of 13 I had to learn the hard way that if you want people to listen you have to be willing to risk speaking your mind. Unfortunately, doctors cant read minds and often one of these visists is just one among many that they go through everyday. therefore, what is a huge event in your life is just another day at the office for them. often doctors just get disconnected and the only way we are going to get doctors to be re-connected is by letting them know how the experience is effecting us and our quality of healthcare. It is okay to say something is uncomfortable to you. It is okay to refuse a procedure that you are uncomfortable or unfamiliar with. It is a cynical thing to say, but the majority of you are young and healthy and when you are older and have more health issues… you will deal with the equivolent of a gynocologist visit more than once a month… and often these procedures will be more invasive and embarrassing. Thus, we must take the power back into our own hands. We must be comfortable in our own bodies… so that when we are older and have more contact with the medical world, we will know how to navagate it confidently. And hopefully by gaining confidence in ourselves and our bodies we will change the medical profession.
My blog comment is a little late so I would like to make a little criticism on the class… I thought discussion was great today… but in the back of my mind I kept thinking about all the women in the world who can’t even get to see a gynocologist in her lifetime… that made me realize how important it is to educate women on their bodies… so that they can recognize when there is something amiss. I think learning self-advocacy and self-agency are indespensible tools for a change. we need to spread these skills throughout the world so that the women in the industrialized west aren’t the only ones benefiting from medical advances. in addition, i think we need to remain aware that yes, individual experience at the gynocologist office is important… but perhaps more important is getting every woman to the gynocologist. i just felt cynical during class complaining about an uncomfortable experience that would be a luxury for many woman throughout the world. so yes, we need to improve care individually but we must not forget to improve access to care worldwide.
Many of the blogs this week discuss how women feel uncomfortable with some aspects of hormonal birth control methods and with the lack of information or education they have been provided by their reproductive healthcare providers. As someone who has used hormonal methods of birth control and natural family planning, I can say that using NFP has been extremely empowering. Not only has it taught me about myself, but it has changed my perspective or perception about my role in my own healthcare.
My increased awareness of my own body and fertility cycles has given me more confidence in seeking reproductive healthcare from conventional medical providers, and it has helped me gauge my providers as well. Often when I tell a doctor about my birth control method, they talk to me about how it is their “job to help me avoid pregnancy when I don’t want to have children and achieve pregnancy when I want to start a family†and imply that the method I am using is not effective enough to avoid becoming pregnant. This is extremely frustrating to me because NFP, when used correctly, is just as effective at preventing pregnancy as most hormonal methods. Why is my own knowledge viewed as less effective than a drug?
I think the discounting of women’s knowledge about their bodies and the lack of education provided to women through our education and healthcare systems about some of the basic functions of their reproductive systems is truly unfortunate. Fertility awareness is something I believe women should be taught at a young age. When girls learn about their periods, why not teach them about their fertility as well? I do not say this as an advocate for teach FAM as a birth control method at this age, but as a way for women to know their bodies and as a way for women to demystify their reproductive organs and processes. To reclaim some of the power that has been given up to medical professionals at a cost to women.
Working at a family planning clinic as a counselor for a few years, I would encounter women who were sexually active who did not understand their menstrual cycles and some who did not really understand how women get pregnant. I found this so sad and unfortunate. Why should any woman not know these basic things? Is it because this knowledge is not valued in our society and perhaps even discouraged? What is the harm in women understanding these processes? I think part of it is that when people are empowered they ask for more. What would women asking for more appropriate, respectful and holistic healthcare mean? I think it would be a threat to the dominant medical establishment and the pharmaceutical companies hold on our ability to avoid or achieve pregnancy.
I really enjoyed the readings this week. I found them inspiring and encouraging. They have made me feel like talking about the issues of gyn exams, birth control, healthcare experiences with more women. That in talking about these things we encourage each other and ourselves to want more from this system and to learn more for ourselves.