Sweat is good for philosophy

[causticangel]

A while back someone on my flist posted a link to an article about the USA's new federal guidelines advising women - and the healthcare system - to treat nearly all women though they were pregnant, even if they aren't. Yet

Comments

[soupytwist]

All the objections I've seen to that list have been less about the idea of being healthy and more about the way it's part of a much larger thing that says the only reason a woman would want to be healthy/do anything is to have a kid. Which is nasty in all sorts of ways and eugh and I don't really need to explain that to you given that you get these things, but jesus fuck, wanting to do something for yourself is a perfectly valid reason. Eugh.

As for pre-pregnant... I know very well that I don't want kids, will probably never want kids and would have an abortion if that ended up being an issue. I don't understand, really, wanting to give so much of yourself up to a hypothetical being. Once the kid's born, yeah - babies you're related to can do that to you. But god, if I found out tomorrow I was pregnant, I'd be devastated. I can't imagine much worse. And what about women who would die or otherwise be irreparably damaged from having a kid? Or women who can't, for whatever reason, get pregant? They matter too: their health is just as important. And just as much their business.

And I really don't think it's selfish, not when compared to bringing a small being in the world who is then going to be entirely dependant on you for a good twenty years. If you can't look after it, if you're going to contribute to screwing up the world and this individual in particular just so you don't feel bad... I don't think that's a better decision, really.

[lieutenanth]

But every bundle of cells is sacred! :O If it's got human chromosomes in it then it must breed!!!

[causticangel]

Yeah, that's what really bugged me about the article. Surely treating people like mindless clones of each other isn't a good health plan in any circumstances? I mean, if you're an ER doc or something, and a woman comes in who might be pregnant, it would be prudent, if possible, to save her life without giving her drugs which would harm a possible foetus, but folic acid for all is a bit much. There are better things to spend the money on.