The Pharmaceutical/Health Industry and Women

alexpolismum I have great trust in my own ability to prevent a pregnancy, and plan one for that matter, and for me the Pill just wasn't an option. Also I have to say when discussing contraception with anyone they all think I'm really irresponsible and a bit mad. I was told before to get over my 'hippy leanings' and 'take care of myself properly' Imagine. Also I was told this method wasn't 'fair' on my husband...I told her contraception was both our responsibility.

youngermother1 the Pill has been a real 'lifesaver' for so many women I agree with you 100%. It has given them freedom of sexual expression denied to them by threat of unwanted pregnancy in a very male dominated world. However, it does not agree with all women and it is very often pressed upon women as the 'only' real solution, the pharmaceutical industry, as a whole, has far too much power and influence, the side effects and lack of sufficient clinical trials on various contraceptives 'sold' to us by the industry has really destroyed the lives of many women too, so on one hand yes of course it has been liberating for women, but on the other, the industry takes no responsibility for the real 'health' of women either...after all wouldn't the industry collapse if we were all healthy? There is great money to be made from sickness

Women are targeted for birth control for two reasons:

1. they can stop it using a pill, not found for men yet, despite lots of research
2. Would you trust a man you are not in a long-term relationship with?

The pill was one of the greatest feminist inventions - discuss

PamBeesly How nice to "meet" another natural family planner! I don't use the pill either, but have been using a natural method for years now. Pills turned me into a moody, depressed person and I chose to stop using them and took it upon myself to become as informed as I possibly could about natural methods.

To go to the idea of the OP: yes, I do think that these industries cynically target women, because we are seen as a softer touch. We are the ones who must be responsible for contraception. We have so many parts to worry about regarding our reproductive health, we are the ones expected to worry about the health of our children. Women, it seems, are the best way to make a profit. Is this capitalism or misogyny? The impact is the latter, but I think the intent is simply to make money.

That is a depressing article, but whats even more depressing is how he has found his way so high up in the echelons of power that he is even considered a possibility, I really don't know a lot about US politics so excuse me. I can just imagine the outrage if a politician mentioned that here (in Ireland), then again abortion is illegal and there is no meaningful dialogue around constitutional change to allow for it.

Santorum's such an ass. There's not an icicle's chance in hell he'll be elected president. And even if he were there's even less of a chance that a state actually WOULD outlaw contraception. He can't just decide and then it's done; the President doesn't have that kind of power. Thank God. Ugh.

Actually all of the Republican "candidates" are mad as lipstick on a chicken. Which is good for Obama. :)

The thing that pisses me off about the Duggar family, et al, is that they go on and on about it being "natural" to go sans birth control. But it's NOT natural because she stops nursing after 6 months for the purpose of having more kids! If she kept on until they were 1 or so, she'd have about a third as many as she does now. Probably.

I said something about all Americans not being insane creationists or something, and the poster replied that maybe I just hadn't met many Americans.

I was all set to swoop in with I AM AMERICAN but then someone got there first and told her that I had, in fact, never been out of the States. :o

Oh no Stewie that's okay!

It really does depend on the state, too, I'm sure.

I was thinking of you the other day...I kept thinking of "I AM CANADIAN" and giggling. I was cheated out of my "I AM AMERICAN" moment a few months back.

:o

Gotcha. Off to mainline coffee now.

What are you apologizing for, SGM?

No, 'twas ChunkyPickle's post I meant. :)

Once a year, like clockwork they visit the gynaecologist for a full rummage, from about 14.

Oops, I need more coffee. 'Basically women have periods, not very exciting, and they're either standard or sub-standard.

My mate is training to be a doctor atm, and we keep asking him how much teaching he gets about certain issues - on this one, the answer seems to be, not very much. Basically women have periods not very exciting, and they're either standard of sub-standard.

Helpful attitude to teach, eh?

Btw CY - it was me who mentioned 16-18, purely as that's what my mate said to me, but she was only describing the experience of friends and not generalizing I think.

SGM that is awful.

IME, an awful lot of the time if you do go to the GP, you're told 'it's a side-effect but we can try a different pill'. SIL (German) was really, really shocked last Christmas when we were all having a rather frank and tipsy chat and my other SIL admitted when she first went on the pill she bled clots for about two weeks out of the month, and got told to 'take another six months on it to see if it calms down'.

I think part of the problem is that compared to some medical conditions, these side-effects seem to strike medics as very minor, but they are not minor at all IMO. So I think GPs could make it easier to discuss side effects. I've never heard of them being helpful (I am sure there are lovely and wonderful GPs out there, I'm afraid I've just heard of so many who aren't interested in this aspect).

virgo - thanks for mentioning your friend, that is comforting.

And I have a really hard time with gyno exams (due to sexual trauma in my teens) and the Planned Parenthood people are so much more lovely and kind than the one "normal" doctor I saw.

Um...I'm not sure where this idea of going off to have a vaginal exam at 14 comes from.

The thinking here (in America) was to start going for yearly checks (as in cervical cancer) at 18-20 or when you started having sex, whichever came first. Now it's every few years if you're under a certain age and had a clear screen the last time.

Also I have never known anyone who had a problem getting birth control pills or had to pay for them. I was on them briefly (I reacted badly and didn't take them anymore) and never paid. 4Now is a program run through Planned Parenthood which takes care of birth control costs for almost everyone, and gives out condoms for free as well. I've always had all my gyno appointments through Planned Parenthood and haven't paid for them as I haven't been able to.

Being patronised by docs should be warning enough for women really. I don't know why we sit there and take it. Not getting at you, OP - god knows I've sat there and taken it most of my life.