Scammed Again

This morning I heard a story on NPR about "Continuous Contraception", or taking birth control pills straight through to avoid getting your period. Apparently, some manufacturers are (finally) coming out with prescription birth control pills that will, officially, in an FDA approved sort of way, do what millions of women -- and OB/GYNS -- do all the time...use their birth control to have some control over the timing and frequency of their menstrual cycle.

As much as I think that's a great development -- about f'ing time! -- that wasn't what got me going. The story also mentioned that when developers were first releasing the Pill, giving women "monthly bleeding" (their words) was a marketing decision.

A marketing decision! In other words, a few decades ago some guys up in sales decided we women simply wouldn't know what to do if we didn't have a period every month. It wasn't a health decision; there was no research to suggest that not having a monthly period could have adverse affects (despite what has been implied all these years). Nope, it was a marketing decision. What woman in her right mind would go on the Pill if it meant giving up her monthly joy, after all?

I don't suppose they might have tried, say, talking to a few women. A poll, perhaps. Focus groups. Nope, the guys in sales know what is best, after all.

Not to be that angry chick, but I am so ridiculously tired of old white men thinking they know what's best for me & my body. I feel scammed. I feel cheated. I feel outraged.

The FDA finally approved the Cervical Cancer Vaccine. For awhile, it looked as though that was going to get blocked for political reasons...apparently, getting the vaccine was going to encourage women to be more promiscuous (cervical cancer is usually caused by the incredibly common HPV, which is transmitted through sexual contact). Never mind AIDS and a whole host of other diseases...a vaccine to help prevent cancer is certainly going to encourage me to rush out and sleep around. (Did I mention they were thinking of blocking a vaccine that would prevent CANCER?)

This all stems from the same general attitude: god forbid we give women the resources to take care of their own bodies. God forbid we give them all the options available and allow them to make their own choices: to have their period, or not; to sleep around, or not.

I just want to find one of these guys and say to them "Stop thinking you know what's best for me. You don't."

A little rage...always good to get the blood flowing.

(Just re-read this posting; that final double entendre was not intentional!)