To think WHO are trying to commit organisational suicide? They’ve said that women of childbearing age should not drink alcohol AT ALL.

[RickiTarr]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/06/16/accused-sexism-saying-women-childbearing-age-should-not-drink/

Bloody hell, welcome to Gilead ladies

It reminds me of the Harry Enfield Sketches

“WOMEN KNOW YOUR PLACE”

@RickiTarr

I’ll quite a chunk for those who can’t see it;

Women of childbearing age should not drink alcohol, the World Health Organisation has said.

WHO officials were accused of being "sexist and paternalistic" after issuing the global advice, covering billions of women regardless of their family plans.

The WHO's draft global alcohol action plan 2022-2030 urges countries to pay "appropriate attention to prevention" of consumption in certain groups, including children, teenagers and women of childbearing age.

On Wednesday, Matt Lambert, the chief executive of the Portman Group, the social responsibility and regulatory body for alcohol in the UK, said the WHO had gone "well beyond their remit".

He added: "We are extremely concerned by the WHO calling on countries to prevent drinking among women of childbearing age in their latest action plan. As well as being sexist and paternalistic, and potentially restricting the freedoms of most women, it goes well beyond their remit and is not rooted in science.

” It is wrong to scaremonger in this irresponsible way and associate women's alcohol-related risks with those of children and pregnant people."

The plan says: "Appropriate attention should be given to prevention of the initiation of drinking among children and adolescents, prevention of drinking among pregnant women and women of childbearing age."

Christopher Snowdon, the head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: "This is classic World Health Organisation idiocy. Not content with repeatedly dropping the ball on Covid-19 and dishing out awards to politicians for banning vaping, it now thinks most of the world's women should abstain from alcohol.
"The idea that it is unsafe for women of childbearing age to drink any alcohol is unscientific and absurd. Moreover, it is none of the WHO's business."

Dr Richard Piper, the chief executive of Alcohol Change UK, said: "Drinking alcohol in the early stages of pregnancy, even before many people realise they're pregnant, can be very damaging for a foetus.”

"It is wrong too scaremonger in this irresponsible way and associate women's alcohol-related risks with those of children and pregnant people"

Pregnant people???

How can they use the term 'women' when talking about alcohol-related risks, but not when mentioning being pregnant. All of a sudden it becomes 'pregnant people'.

We laughed at them

Who though they would find themselves into the WHO

Did they think the show was a documentary

Whatever they actually meant, what matters is what they wrote. And it's very damaging to have yet more policing of women.

In more extreme places (some US states come to mind) we'll have women being prosecuted for drinking alcohol in case they get pregnant.

And in milder places like the UK we will see more "unofficial" policing going on. We already have pregnant women being refused glasses of wine in pubs, or bottles of wine in supermarkets and this sort of thing will just add fuel to the fire.

@Bythemillpond

It reminds me of the Harry Enfield Sketches

“WOMEN KNOW YOUR PLACE”

Ah yes, Mr Cholmondley Warner I think Women - Know Your Limits!

Women of Reproductive Age (WRA) is a specific demographic WHO use. Along with Pre-SAC, SAC etc. I think the demographics are based on specific needs and ability to access these groups. For instance WRA are included as a specific target to help reduce transmission of STH (worms) as they are more likely to suffer anaemia. SAC are the easiest to reach. But if you had a cervical cancer screening campaign in a country you might have access to WRA - you could therefore raise their awareness of the dangers of drinking in pregnancy by saying “if you are thinking about trying to get pregnant it might be worth stopping drinking”. I think it has been clumsily worded but I don’t think it’s Gilead

I would be intersted to know how many of the folk who had a hand in the production of this draft were women and of those women (actually of the men as well) what their cultural backgrounds were. Of course if its all based on proper research then thsi shouldn't matter.....but I'd still like to know.....

They're coming for us. Slowly but surely...

if you are thinking about trying to get pregnant it might be worth stopping drinking”. I think it has been clumsily worded but I don’t think it’s Gilead

This is the WHO.
The mind boggles that supposedly degree educated people (I am presuming to get in a position to come out with this crap you have been to University and don’t just have 1 GCSE and a certificate in Level 1 plumbing)
don’t read and understand what it is they have written and realise the consequences.

@EmmetEmma

Women of Reproductive Age (WRA) is a specific demographic WHO use. Along with Pre-SAC, SAC etc. I think the demographics are based on specific needs and ability to access these groups. For instance WRA are included as a specific target to help reduce transmission of STH (worms) as they are more likely to suffer anaemia. SAC are the easiest to reach. But if you had a cervical cancer screening campaign in a country you might have access to WRA - you could therefore raise their awareness of the dangers of drinking in pregnancy by saying “if you are thinking about trying to get pregnant it might be worth stopping drinking”. I think it has been clumsily worded but I don’t think it’s Gilead

But why are they targeting this demographic? They're ignoring the main people at risk of direct harm from alcohol consumption and the people most likely to cause indirect harm due to their alcohol consumption ie men.

What happens if we all identify as men and saying we could get pregnant is transphobic.

Would we be exempt

Pregnant people???

How can they use the term 'women' when talking about alcohol-related risks, but not when mentioning being pregnant. All of a sudden it becomes 'pregnant people'. confused

Actually (as a PP pointed out to me up thread) it was the spokesman for the (pro-alcohol lobby) Portman Group who used the phrase “pregnant people” while responding to the WHO report proposal that most adolescent & adult women should be prevented from drinking alcohol.

So both sides are misogynistic in this fight. Spiffing.

@Bythemillpond

What happens if we all identify as men and saying we could get pregnant is transphobic.

Would we be exempt

Worth a go. They’ve actually made me want to resume weekly drinking in defiance (just when I’m doing well at shifting the spare two stone), I’ll happily don a fake moustache 🥸 for my weekly tipple. Might as well get drilled now, for the crackdown later.

Ah lads, they're really after loosing the run of themselves.

They're coming for us. Slowly but surely

Yes. It's For Your Own Good, Women is even appearing on this thread. The slide to the hard right in several parts of the world won't help either.

@NiceGerbil

It's not right for any women though.

And the women you mention Sally could have a contraceptive failure or be raped.

They are placing more importance on a theoretical embryo than on an actual living woman. That's shocking.

Indeed. As though all we are is potential vessels for conception as opposed to autonomous human beings.

@GuildfordGal

They're coming for us. Slowly but surely

Yes. It's For Your Own Good, Women is even appearing on this thread. The slide to the hard right in several parts of the world won't help either.

I find this absolutely frightening. Citizens of Gilead and Unwomen. I've always hated that particular novel but history is proving it to have been frighteningly prescient. And in some areas of the globe, even retrospective.

I had a hysterectomy at 24, due to placenta accreta, never been a big drinker but enjoy occasionally.

Ridiculous statement

@looptheloopinahulahoop

Whatever they actually meant, what matters is what they wrote. And it's very damaging to have yet more policing of women.

In more extreme places (some US states come to mind) we'll have women being prosecuted for drinking alcohol in case they get pregnant.

And in milder places like the UK we will see more "unofficial" policing going on. We already have pregnant women being refused glasses of wine in pubs, or bottles of wine in supermarkets and this sort of thing will just add fuel to the fire.

The report doesn’t mention bans or prosecution for anyone. It’s all about education, community engagement, making funds available to support those with alcohol disorders etc.

@GorekyPark, it’s not an unusual demographic for public health - different demographics have different health requirements. WRA need smear tests, more likely to suffer from anaemia, and they are the only group who can have pre and post natal health issues. Equally pre-SAC and SAC have different needs - more likely to die from diarrhoea if not treated and many others.

But it’s not just about the needs of the groups but also how you can access them to promote good practice. I think WHO see men as often hardest to reach for public health messages (I think). It’s all a cost benefit analysis and has to be measurable.

I don’t know what the incidence of FAS is globally. I haven’t read the paper in depth - ask me about helminths - but usually at the back of these plans, or somewhere in the papers they will have how they will achieve these objectives. The only bit I could find was about reducing the harm to others from alcohol use - this included reducing the incidence of Fetak alcohol syndrome. It’s possible it’s been changed, or I missed the part as I scanned it.

The paper is clearly about reducing the harm from alcohol, the social inequalities it can bring, and the huge associated mortality- and measures that can be carried out to do this. It really isn’t about repression of women.

It’s not about the rights of the embryo over the woman. It’s about measures that can be taken to reduce DALYs and mortality. Usually education.

The paper is clearly about reducing the harm from alcohol, the social inequalities it can bring, and the huge associated mortality- and measures that can be carried out to do this. It really isn’t about repression of women.

Then why no mention of sperm damage from alcohol, or alcohol-fuelled violence, public or domestic?

@RickiTarr

The paper is clearly about reducing the harm from alcohol, the social inequalities it can bring, and the huge associated mortality- and measures that can be carried out to do this. It really isn’t about repression of women.

Then why no mention of sperm damage from alcohol, or alcohol-fuelled violence, public or domestic?

Nobody seems able to answer this question...