Puck

A Journal of the Irrepressible

We Are All Pre-pregnant Women

4 comments

According to an article in The Washington Post, the Centers for Disease Control has advised that all women “between first menstrual period and menopause” treat themselves as “pre-pregnant.” Pre-pregnant women “should take folic acid supplements, refrain from smoking, maintain a healthy weight and keep chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes under control.” The U.S. has one of the highest infant-mortality rates of any industrialized country. But “forever pregnant,” as the Post’s title quips? Mother Jones notes “the incredibly offensive implication that all women are nothing more than incubators who should remain healthy not because it’s good for them, but because it makes for healthier babies. And note that even though the report’s first recommendation is that ‘each woman, man and couple should be encouraged to have a reproductive life plan,’ it never calls on the government to encourage contraceptive use. Which is, uh, pretty important for family planning.” And check out this June 7 article by Sunsara Taylor, “A Handmaid’s Tale”–from real life.

  • Share/Bookmark

Written by Brian

May 18th, 2006 at 2:05 pm

Posted in human rights, science, science fiction, sex

«
»

4 Responses to 'We Are All Pre-pregnant Women'

Subscribe to comments with RSS or TrackBack to 'We Are All Pre-pregnant Women'.

  1. I don’t take this to mean the government perceives me as an “incubator.” I appreciated learning how long-term health practices would affect not just me, but any children I might have. It’s easier to take risks with yourself than with your baby. When I did learn, I wished I had been informed earlier. Sorry, no feminist umbrage here.

    Robin

    5 Nov 07 at 6:30 am

  2. Dude, aren’t you the same guy who repeatedly stated in “River Run Requiem” that the earth functions more as one living organism than a collection of separate individuals? Women giving birth is a major part of that paradigm. Acknowledging the power and responsibility of potential motherhood flows naturally from your own concept of Sophia.

    Robin

    5 Nov 07 at 8:38 am

  3. I am affended by this I am a 25 year old virgin I do not have sex and do not want kids I do not want a doctor or medical profestnal telling me what to do with my body the washington post artical said that when wemon came to a certain medical facillity they were asked if they dont want to get pregnat what kind of birth control do they use? belive it or not some wemon do not have sex at all and beleve in obstaning from sex all together so If I said no I did not want to get pregnat they whould then ask me what kind of birth control I was using if i told them that I was not useing any they might try to push me to use bc and autmatcly assume am sexually active socity and medical profestinals can seem to understand that some wemon do not have sex at all my doctor did not beleve I was a virgin and forced me to take a pregnacy test before an xray by the way I had to pay for that test out of pocket to prove that i was not pregnat wemon are treated like reprodutve organs by the medical comunity

    kleigh

    10 Mar 10 at 2:26 pm

  4. It seems so hard for some people and medical profestionals to understand and respect some do not want children

    kleigh

    10 Mar 10 at 2:35 pm

Leave a Reply