(no subject)
My law school friends talk a lot about developing "law brain". In recent weeks I have similarly developed "cyberfeminism brain". It has had made me really weirded out by and critical of the internet. Hence- absence.
The internet is fascinating to me, because on it we are comprised almost entirely of text and textual representations. But it does a lot of things I don't like. Namely, it makes us really impatient. In a time where a lot of discussions about "how to make the world better!" necessitate complicated and mutilayered discussions, feeding this desire for immediate responses is problematic. It makes us so demanding of each other to be always available and responsive. I'm never not plagued by the suspicion that people acknowledge me online not because they want to, but because they feel obligated to. Also, internet exchange is often perceived to be not about mutually beneficial interaction, but about an expectation to have and to provide answers.
I want the internet to be about transgression and solidarity and the disseminating information, but I fear that most of the time it isn't about any of those things.
I also, as of late, have been plagued with the feeling that I don't want to speak because I never have anything valid or important to say anyway.
Except I actually have been thinking about abortion, which, despite this "nothing good to say" nonsense, is actually particularly useful, isn't it? While I was in Toronto, Teri, Carly, Sean and I went to see Body Worlds. When you see that a "fetus" at 7 1/2 weeks is basically just a sploosh of goo, it's really difficult to understand how anyone could see the "sploosh" as deserving of equivalent rights to the woman whose body it inhabits. A little known fact is that I spent most of my years being one of those weirdly judgmental "I'm pro-choice but I would never have an abortion myself" types. The pro-choice-with-a-qualifier position is problematic for a bunch of reasons, but I want to focus on this one: I worry that a lot of girls who adopt this viewpoint are keeping themselves in the dark. I worry that they don't inform themselves about abortion methods, or availability, or practitioners, or whatever, because they're so committed to the idea that they'll never be in a circumstance where this information will be useful for them personally. Here's the thing: what if they are?
So keeping in mind that during the first seven weeks (and especially earlier than this) the embryo is really not anything, I want to spread the word about menstrual aspiration. Menstrual aspiration (also called menstrual extraction, endometrial aspiration...) is basically a procedure whereby a doctor puts one end of a cannula (small hollow tube) in your vagina, through your cervix, into your uterus. A syringe is attached to the other end, either directly or with a hose and collecting jar, as in this picture I stole from somewhere on the internet:
So when the syringe is pulled back, it creates suction and the contents of the uterus (menstrual blood, embryonic tissue) are coaxed out. Sometimes it's used for bullshit reasons like "I want to skip my period so I don't have it on my honeymoon", but even so, I like it anyway because it is a really good abortion option. It can be performed any time up to two months since your last period, is easy, relatively painless, inexpensive, and 98% effective as an abortion technique.
I mention menstrual aspiration for two reasons. First is that I think most women don't even know it exists. Second, I think it is so important for those pro-choice-with-a-qualifier ladies I spoke about before. Many of these ladies say they wouldn't get an abortion because they'd feel guilty. I don't think any woman should ever feel guilty for having any kind of abortion at any time for any reason, but I accept that guilt happens and is a powerful force. However, I don't want guilt to take away women's options! Menstrual aspiration is ideal in this respect, because if you're worried you might be pregnant, you can have it done even before you expect your next period. This means that you never even have to know whether you were actually pregnant or not. Also, it's performed so early on that you can't possibly feel guilty- because come on, it's just a blob of gunk that fits through a tube! Further- in the advent of this terrifying reverse of abortion legality, I wonder about its potential to circumvent anti-abortion legislation. If you say (wink, wink) you just want it to skip your period, couldn't sympathetic doctors potentially use this widely as a way of getting around the law?
Oh, and- on a final reproductive health note- I quit the Pill two weeks ago, while I was only half way into my pack. I do not recommend this approach to others. You will get two periods in a month, and they will not be any lighter or less hormonally wacky. That said, so far my ovaries haven't exploded, my boobs haven't deflated, and I only once turned into a sobbing hormonal mess! However, having testosterone back in my life has been quite the double-edged sword. On the one hand it makes a person very amorous. On the other hand- it makes a person very amorous! So just be prepared for that! But otherwise, I'm very happy I made this choice, and I hope those of you who have also decided to quit recently will keep me posted on how things go for you.
The internet is fascinating to me, because on it we are comprised almost entirely of text and textual representations. But it does a lot of things I don't like. Namely, it makes us really impatient. In a time where a lot of discussions about "how to make the world better!" necessitate complicated and mutilayered discussions, feeding this desire for immediate responses is problematic. It makes us so demanding of each other to be always available and responsive. I'm never not plagued by the suspicion that people acknowledge me online not because they want to, but because they feel obligated to. Also, internet exchange is often perceived to be not about mutually beneficial interaction, but about an expectation to have and to provide answers.
I want the internet to be about transgression and solidarity and the disseminating information, but I fear that most of the time it isn't about any of those things.
I also, as of late, have been plagued with the feeling that I don't want to speak because I never have anything valid or important to say anyway.
Except I actually have been thinking about abortion, which, despite this "nothing good to say" nonsense, is actually particularly useful, isn't it? While I was in Toronto, Teri, Carly, Sean and I went to see Body Worlds. When you see that a "fetus" at 7 1/2 weeks is basically just a sploosh of goo, it's really difficult to understand how anyone could see the "sploosh" as deserving of equivalent rights to the woman whose body it inhabits. A little known fact is that I spent most of my years being one of those weirdly judgmental "I'm pro-choice but I would never have an abortion myself" types. The pro-choice-with-a-qualifier position is problematic for a bunch of reasons, but I want to focus on this one: I worry that a lot of girls who adopt this viewpoint are keeping themselves in the dark. I worry that they don't inform themselves about abortion methods, or availability, or practitioners, or whatever, because they're so committed to the idea that they'll never be in a circumstance where this information will be useful for them personally. Here's the thing: what if they are?
So keeping in mind that during the first seven weeks (and especially earlier than this) the embryo is really not anything, I want to spread the word about menstrual aspiration. Menstrual aspiration (also called menstrual extraction, endometrial aspiration...) is basically a procedure whereby a doctor puts one end of a cannula (small hollow tube) in your vagina, through your cervix, into your uterus. A syringe is attached to the other end, either directly or with a hose and collecting jar, as in this picture I stole from somewhere on the internet:
So when the syringe is pulled back, it creates suction and the contents of the uterus (menstrual blood, embryonic tissue) are coaxed out. Sometimes it's used for bullshit reasons like "I want to skip my period so I don't have it on my honeymoon", but even so, I like it anyway because it is a really good abortion option. It can be performed any time up to two months since your last period, is easy, relatively painless, inexpensive, and 98% effective as an abortion technique.
I mention menstrual aspiration for two reasons. First is that I think most women don't even know it exists. Second, I think it is so important for those pro-choice-with-a-qualifier ladies I spoke about before. Many of these ladies say they wouldn't get an abortion because they'd feel guilty. I don't think any woman should ever feel guilty for having any kind of abortion at any time for any reason, but I accept that guilt happens and is a powerful force. However, I don't want guilt to take away women's options! Menstrual aspiration is ideal in this respect, because if you're worried you might be pregnant, you can have it done even before you expect your next period. This means that you never even have to know whether you were actually pregnant or not. Also, it's performed so early on that you can't possibly feel guilty- because come on, it's just a blob of gunk that fits through a tube! Further- in the advent of this terrifying reverse of abortion legality, I wonder about its potential to circumvent anti-abortion legislation. If you say (wink, wink) you just want it to skip your period, couldn't sympathetic doctors potentially use this widely as a way of getting around the law?
Oh, and- on a final reproductive health note- I quit the Pill two weeks ago, while I was only half way into my pack. I do not recommend this approach to others. You will get two periods in a month, and they will not be any lighter or less hormonally wacky. That said, so far my ovaries haven't exploded, my boobs haven't deflated, and I only once turned into a sobbing hormonal mess! However, having testosterone back in my life has been quite the double-edged sword. On the one hand it makes a person very amorous. On the other hand- it makes a person very amorous! So just be prepared for that! But otherwise, I'm very happy I made this choice, and I hope those of you who have also decided to quit recently will keep me posted on how things go for you.