Willful Defiance
I’ll admit straight off, that I’m totally copping this from this week’s Savage Love. But if you haven’t read it, check this out. From the Washington Post:
[New CDC] Guidelines: Treat Nearly All Women as Pre-Pregnant
“New federal guidelines ask all females capable of conceiving a baby to treat themselves — and to be treated by the health care system — as pre-pregnant, regardless of whether they plan to get pregnant anytime soon.
Among other things, this means all women between first menstrual period and menopause should take folic acid supplements, refrain from smoking, maintain a healthy weight and keep chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes under control.
…
Preconception care should be delivered by any doctor a patient sees — from her primary care physician to her gynecologist. It involves developing a “reproductive health plan” that details if and when children are planned, said Janis Biermann, a report co-author and vice president for education and health promotion at the March of Dimes.
…
Experts acknowledge that women with no plans to get pregnant in the near future may resist preconception care.”
You think? I’m feeling pretty ‘resistant’ to the idea of the CDC telling me that I should live my life waiting to get preggers.
Now, of course, the Washington Post lays it all out with a bit of an agenda, and the actual CDC language is a bit more innocuous, but I do think the message is the same: women should spend the majority of their lives in preparation to get pregnant.
The CDC guidelines even say, “Fetal alcohol syndrome and other alcohol-related birth defects can be prevented if women cease intake of alcohol before conception.” Right. I guess I’ll give up drinking then, too, on the horrible chance that I become pregnant.
I will say this, any doctor that suggests designing a “reproductive health plan” along CDC guidelines is going to find herself with one less patient. It’s bad enough that I go to a Catholic health center where the doctors have to say things like, “You get really bad cramps right? Right? Okay, here’s your Ortho Tri.”
There are, of course, no guidelines for men, but if you’re thinking about sleeping with me, please give up smoking, drinking, overeating, and any thing else you might feel like doing because my womb is as fertile as field that’s long laid fallow. And bring some folic acid. With all the money I already spend on feminine deodorant spray, douche, special face washes, makeup, various lotions, perfumes, and lingerie, I’m just plumb out of money. But you’ll take care of me, won’t you?
Sphere: Related Content