Feminist Peace Network

For all the permutations on misogyny that grace the pages of this blog, I’m not entirely sure why it is that medical misogyny pushes my buttons perhaps the most–you’d think it would be rape or sexual trafficking or the violence of war.  But perhaps the explanation is that you simply can’t get closer to home than talking about the health of our bodies, a concern that is universal regardless of the other circumstances of our lives.  Which leads me to this little gem by Anna Clark  on RH Reality Check:

“(O)ne in three women has a hysterectomy before her 60th birthday. Yet treatment for life-threatening illnesses — uterine and ovarian cancers — accounts for only 10% of the procedures.

The other reasons? About 40% of hysterectomies are performed due to fibroids. Endometriosis, a condition in which uterine tissue grows outside of the uterus, accounts for others. Heavy bleeding, a uterine prolapse (when the organ slips out of place), a caution against cancer, birth control, and, for trans men, sexual reassignment surgery, are all among other reasons for hysterectomies.”

As Clark points out,

“(I)t’s surprising that for illnesses that can be treated less invasively, alternative treatments aren’t offered more often. And there are many possible treatments for fibroids, endometriosis, and pain: mymoectomies or lapatotomies to remove fibroids; uterine fibroid embolization (blocks blood supply to fibroids for shrinkage); endometrial ablation (uses microwaves to destroy endometrial lining in a five-minute procedure); pain medications; hormonal agents; lifestyle changes; a progesterone IUD; medications; and HIFUS (High Intensity Frequency Ultrasound), which targets fibroids with an MRI-guided ultrasound system. And Goldberg reports that alternative treatments for conditions that lead many women to hysterectomies are among the best-funded research projects, so we can expect still more options soon.

If there are so many options for women, and so much about the uterus still a mystery, then how did we get here, with hysterectomies the second most common operation that American women undergo?”

There are obviously a number of reasons, but Clark makes this very key observation,

“Questions about hysterectomies don’t exist in a vacuum. There’s no doubt that we are informed by an ancient history of valuing women for their ability to bear (male) children. That is, a woman’s body, and particularly her reproductive organs, had utilitarian worth and little more. But as (Natalie) Angier reminds us, the uterus may offer countless health benefits to women beyond its essential role in bearing children.”

Other issues brought up in this article include racism and the profit motive.  Well worth reading in its entirety.

Filed under: Uncategorized, Atrocities, Women's Health