WHO says countries should seek to "prevent initiation of drinking in women of childbearing age"

[Kinsters]

Draft global alcohol action plan 2022-2030 urges countries to pay ‘appropriate attention to prevention’ of consumption in certain groups. The WHO 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' - The Telegraph

www.who.int/publications/m/item/global-action-plan-on-alcohol-1st-draft

It is shocking to me that in this report they mention the indirect negative effect of drinking in women of childbearing age multiple times (ie foetal alcohol syndrome) yet not once do they mention the link between alcohol and male violence. The report does reference violence and interpersonal violence as an indirect harm arising from alcohol consumption. It also acknowledges that the majority of problem drinkers are male. However it's unable to connect these two together and acknowledge that male violence related to alcohol consumption is undoubtedly a huge problem.

The report goes on to give the disturbing recommendation that member states should seek to prevent the initiation of drinking amongst women of childbearing age. As far as I can see there is no recommendation that member states should seek to even reduce the alcohol consumption of men, let alone prevent it all together, this despite the report acknowledging that overwhelmingly those directly negatively impacted by alcohol and those classed as problem drinkers are men!

I guess this is yet another example of men being the default.

I can't see the phrase that you use in the title or opening lines: "prevent initiation of drinking in women of childbearing age"

I can see: 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

I agree that there's a lot of implicit information that women are represented as potential harms to future generations in this and there's negligible attention to identifying the harms of alcohol use in men.

The impact of harmful use of alcohol on health and well-being should not be limited to the impact on NCDs, but should be expanded to include other areas of health and development such as mental health, injuries, violence, infectious diseases, productivity at workplaces, family functioning and a “harm to others” perspective. Modern communication technologies and multimedia materials are needed for successful advocacy and behavioural change campaigns, including social media engagement.

As this is a draft, I wonder if WHO is amenable to some comments.

They have gone for the low-hanging fruit here. Makes it easier to achieve their goals and applaud themselves for a job well done.

Frightening.
Was on other thread about it.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4272743-To-think-WHO-are-trying-to-commit-organisational-suicide-They-ve-said-that-women-of-childbearing-age-should-not-drink-alcohol-AT-ALL

Very concerning. I might be just about out of the childbearing years now, but I was in them from 10 to 50, that’s 32 years of adulthood and legal drinking age. What else? Smoking of course, and perhaps consumption of seafood or soft cheese, doing a job which might put a developing embryo at risk, dangerous spare-time activities…

It’s about restricting women. Many women in the world don’t even have adequate food or access to clean water, not to mention medical care. I doubt the topic of alcohol crosses their minds much in those situations. But as ever, it’s always been a useful inroad to controlling the behaviour of ALL women capable of becoming pregnant. And therefore should be resisted, no matter what your opinion on alcohol generally.

Besides, we all know the sex that creates merry hell on alcohol, and it isn’t addressed here.

Sorry, didn't see the other thread. I tend to avoid AIBU, will go and have a look.

I think you're right it's about getting easy wins. It's just very strange that they really do focus on the impact on others that women drinking has without highlighting the disproportionate impact that male drinking has.

The more the WHO have been on my radar, the more apparent it is they are some sort of authoritarian organisation with dubious intentions and questionable goals.

@hamstersarse

The more the WHO have been on my radar, the more apparent it is they are some sort of authoritarian organisation with dubious intentions and questionable goals.

I'd agree with that but extend it to much of the third sector/government organisations/whatever category things like WHO come under.

It was the whole trans issue that really opened my eyes but since becoming switched on to that it's so easy to see the sexism that is inherent everywhere.

I don't like the implicit assumption that women of childbearing age mustn't drink in case they get pregnant.

I never had any intention of bearing children. It's entirely my choice if I want to drink to a health-harming degree - as long as it doesn't lead me to behave in a way that harms others.

And what are they saying - 'once your periods have ceased, you can binge drink to your heart's content'?

I'd support a general campaign to reduce alcohol misuse, but this needs to be targeted equally at adult men.

It’s a draft…

I'd say any alcohol reduction campaign should be targeted mostly at men. Especially from a global perspective. As mentioned in the report 77% of deaths from alcohol consumption are of men and 84% of people living with alcohol use disorders are men. That's to say nothing of the indirect impact male drinking has on those around them (not specifically mentioned in the report).

@Temp023

It’s a draft…

And? Surely the point of a draft is to read it and comment on where it misses the mark...

When it talks about women of childbearing age, does it mean all women or just the boring adult human female kind? Conversely, a boring adult human female could presumably identify as a man for these purposes - perhaps at the weekends?

This won't go anywhere but it is chilling to see it written down.

Yes, I'd have thought a targeted campaign at, for example, men drinking, in order to reduce violence against women and specifically rape, and also targeting coercive control to maintain a mentally healthy mother, and robustly targeting paedophilia - including the porn industry worldwide - would be much more beneficial to actual children.

Yet, this is drivel what they are interested in, an area where women planning a family mostly rigidly self police anyway, yet the WHO seek to impose a ban on the drinking of alcohol over all women pre-menopause.

This likely has nothing to do with children. This is something else.

Yes, I agree it won't go anywhere as the pushback has been pretty strong I think. It's disturbing though that it was presumably ok'd by multiple people in the WHO and not one of them considered the misogyny.

Under His Eye

Absolutely @GoingGently 🤣

Blessed be the fruit.

Given that sperm count has dramatically and seriously dropped (by over 50% in the last 50 years) the Handmaids Tale doesn’t seem such a far reaching scenario.....and here they are starting with the women ignoring the infertile men

Yes a quick google of the sperm count issue (detailed here ) and yep, the WHO have nothing to say about that!

It must be those errant women drinking Prosecco!

That is stupid! So if you're 22 and know you dont want a child for 7 years at least, you should never drink?
Pushing water uphill they are.

@hamstersarse

Given that sperm count has dramatically and seriously dropped (by over 50% in the last 50 years) the Handmaids Tale doesn’t seem such a far reaching scenario.....and here they are starting with the women ignoring the infertile men

Funny that, imagine the reaction from within WHO if all men of childbearing she were told not to drink alcohol. Men can father children for longer so maybe they shouldn't drink at all, for life!

I think it was on a webinar with Julie Bindel where she said that the WHO were looking to change what 'infertile' meant, to include single people and I see this is on their website.

"A wide variety of people, including heterosexual couples, same-sex partners, older persons, individuals who are not in sexual relationships and those with certain medical conditions, such as some HIV sero-discordant couples and cancer survivors, may require infertility management and fertility care services."

So the women who are to be surrogate mothers for the single men need to put the Prosecco down (surrogacy being a infertility 'treatment').

I'm rather offended. If the WHO want to be inclusive should the not say pregnant person or person of child bearing age. 😂😂

Pure misogyny.
Most women do self regulate when pregnant anyway. Targeted support for women with alcohol problems would be more appropriate.
I haven't read the document so can't really comment. Shocking, in a not really shocking way that the damage caused to and by men in connection to alcohol is ignored.

Blessed be the non-fermented fruit. 🍇