Thursday, April 2, 2009

Who May Be Sterlized?

Here's an interesting thread concerning the unwillingness of some in the medical establishment to perform voluntary sterilization on childless women (and in some cases, men). Here's a sample comment-

I have been arguing for years that I never want children and it took me threatening to do self surgery with “a kitchen knife and a copy of Grey’s anatomy” to finally get referred to an OB. And then I had some anti-choicer offer to ‘adopt’ if anything happens between now and my waiting list. I assured her that there was no way I was giving birth by any means necessary, be it a clinic, a coat hanger or a jump in front of a fast moving train. I also reminded another anti-choicer that by getting my tubes tied I could suffer a tubal pregnancy that will kill me and thereby made every possible pregnancy a life threatening one just to make damn sure I will have it terminated. What sort of society makes you have to threaten yourself with self-mutilation and possible death because you choose not to have children?


It seems the issue also extends into the right to have IUDs implanted. Think about it- these are adults in their twenties and thirties being denied contraception based on a naive pronatalist notion that someday they'll 'come around to the right way of thinking'. Societal paternalism runs deep.

It's also interesting to note how many women reject the idea of the so-called 'nurturing instinct', at least as a universal female attribute. Makes one wonder how much is simply culturally ingrained mythology, doesn't it?

4 comments:

Sister Y said...

They won't give you an IUD if you haven't had any babies, even if you kick and scream. I have been denied twice.

It's beyond doubt that the "nurturing instinct" in females is biologically determined. It doesn't have to be taken out on innocent children, though. I don't see why it's so hard for people to grasp that the nurture instinct doesn't make it okay to have babies. We can nurture by adopting. Or getting a puppy. Or taking care of some of our fellow adults who need taking care of.

TGGP said...

I don't know how this works, but could you lie and claim you did have a kid but it died shortly afterward and you were so devastated by the death that you resolved never again to have a kid who might die similarly?

Sister Y said...

TGGP my brother, I don't know how much you know about girls, but they have to actually look at your vagina to put an IUD in.

There are other methods of birth control that are fine, though, just not as convenient.

Ann Sterzinger said...

I guess the indoctrination didn't take with me; I'm a female, but I'd rather cuddle a porcupine than a smelly human baby. Just a little puddle of rude, demanding tragedy. Bleah.

I would adopt an older kid if I had the means, though. Preferably troubled.