Throughout history and as this class
has proven women’s health has been a topic that has never been part of the
focus of science and research. From the
formation of methods of contraception to the creation and the many early
attempts at the IUD. Research has fallen short to help women in ways that could
improve their way of life. Through
systemic social issues women’s health and bodies have lacked agency. In Chikako
Takeshita’s text this is very clear and it could also be said for the few that
want to limit women’s right to an abortion. Their lack of agency still
continues along with antiabortion movement’s only wish to ban or make it very
hard to maintain women’s right to obtain an abortion under Roe v Wade. I will be using ambiguity as a tool for the lack of sex education, for the decisions that have been made for women without using the proper way of conducting their reserach. Not only does it reflect through the many aspects of women’s issues but also
because of societal issues (for example the
patriarchy).
This ambiguity due to the lack of
research many of these issues is just a result of the lack of perspective and
understanding of the female body among other things. That being said, in
Takeshita’s text she introduced the technicalities and arguments that
antiabortionist individuals used, claiming the IUD as an object that caused a
“micro abortion” giving even more headway into the argument of the IUD not
being a contraceptive. Therefore
creating more set back for history of the IUD. Issues and setbacks of this
scale have always been a part of women’s history and their health. For example,
the recent issue of the Planned Parenthood allegedly sold of fetal tissue, (which
they were found to be false), this issue became a bigger conversation when it came to
funding for planned parenthood. The result being, women now have to go through even
more obstacles to obtain resources that were once available from Planned
Parenthood. These kinds events happen in order to create a setback for the
advancement of women’s health. These issues get framed to take away from the
real issue at hand, which is once again, their lack of agency from women and
their rights to their bodies. It is
discouraging to see that although some thing have been accomplished for women
the topic of abortion still an issue that gets framed and constructed to
criminalize women. As seen in the recent court rulings that are working hard to
for women to gain access to abortions or to clinics like planned parenthood.
Through this and by deconstructing
what the IUD and the arguments between antiabortionist and religious doctors there is one gets at root of some of these issues, and why some feel threatened if there is space for agency. “Cultural
conservatives also accused a contraceptive mentality for promoting teenage
promiscuity and sexual immorality” (115) It is in my opinion that this view has not changed for some currently. What they call sexual deviancy is what some are trying to avoid, if in fact it was easier to obtain an abortion. In addition, the state of sexual or reproductive education is dismal
and mostly promotes the use of abstinence as a form of contraception. The focus
of the quote I am refereeing to that also has to do to “reinforce heterosexual
marriage” and therefore everything that does not align with such views are
inherently immoral. Meaning young women and individuals who do not identify
as heterosexual. Even more so, the sexual immorality still lies on the
individuals whose choices are being made for and are not part of the
discussion. Young people are not getting the proper education about their bodies,
and mainly young women carry the weight of being sexualized and seen as sexual
beings more than men.
What I call ambiguity I mean the
lack of education about sex that is so vital and completely disregarded which only causes sex to be sensationalized when it could promote healthy
sexual lives for teens and adults. Not being educated in such matters that are
important are hurting the way young women grow up, the way the issues of
reproduction and sexuality get framed. If a in depth course would be taught on
safe sex and reproduction was offered instead of just abstinence, maybe then male politicians would understand
how pregnancies happen and would deter from having an opinion and deciding laws
about matters that affect women.
References:
Takeshita, Chikako. Global Biopolitics of the IUD. Cambridge, US: MIT Press, 2011. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 1 April 2016.
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