Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Manifesto

To be a woman in the United States means to
have to accept the burden of childbirth as a solo act.

To be a woman in the United States healthcare system means to
have to accept the burden of childbirth as a solo act.

To protect yourself against the burden of childbirth,
well you have some options:

1. Hormones. Don’t worry, those hormones are “free.”

And what about those women who can’t take hormones due to health,
or those women who reject hormone-regulation in their bodies?

2. Non-hormonal IUDs. Don’t worry, some insurance companies cover this.

What about the local anesthetics used to make the procedure of inserting the IUD (both hormonal and non-hormonal) much more comfortable? You have to pay that hefty sum out-of-pocket. Otherwise, ready yourself for a day full of pain.

And what if you don’t want to feel like someone has taken a knife to your insides for 24 hours, and don’t want to deal with the incredibly heavy menstrual bleeding the non-hormonal IUD produces for the first year after its insertion? (Oh yeah, tampons, pads, and thinx are not covered too).

3. Diaphragms and spermicide. Don't worry, these may be covered by health insurance.
And are also less effective.

And what if they don’t work? Well, you know the drill procedure.

And what if you reject having to accept the burden of childbirth as something only a woman has to deal with?

Well, as per The New York Times, “Sexually active women who are not using birth control should refrain from alcohol to avoid the risk of giving birth to babies with fetal spectrum disorders, even if those women are not yet known to be pregnant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended” (03 Feb. 2016).

Take back the female body. 


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