Imagine being in a family that is expecting their first child. Articles in the newspaper are showing how the chances of miscarriages are increasing. As soon as anxiety starts to take over, a flip of a page in the newspaper changes everything. An article about a new drug called Diethylstilbestrol seems to be on the next page. Diethylstilbestrol, also known as DES, is a medicine that helps prevent women from having pregnancy complications including miscarriages. “This is amazing!” one may say, but do they really know the consequences of taking this new medication? Diethylstilbestrol was a huge turning point for most pregnant women in the early twentieth century; however, it had many underlying negative consequences that would later affect the mother and child with the word no one ever wants to hear; cancer.
To begin with, DES is a medication that some women would take during their pregnancy. Diethylstilbestrol is a synthetic estrogen that was created by man (“DES Exposure: Questions and Answers”). It was prescribed to help women who were having pregnancy complications and it was supposed to fix these problems (“DES Exposure: Questions and Answers”). DES was mainly to prevent miscarriages. Even though Diethylstilbestrol was never patented, it was sold in more than 200 brand name medications (“DES Update: Consumers”). Eli Lilly Company was the biggest supplier of the medication Diethylstilbestrol (“DES”). After failing to help women with pregnancy complications, Diethylstilbestrol was recalled in 1971 due to the negative health effects it was causing in pregnant women and their children (“Diethylstilbestrol (DES)”). This is good because they took it off the market before it could hurt anymore people. Even though DES was proven in...
... middle of paper ...
...osure: Questions and Answers”). In the long run, those who were exposed to Diethylstilbestrol will be affected later on in life.
In brief, Diethylstilbestrol was a huge turning point for most pregnant women in the early twentieth century; however, it had many underlying negative effects including cancer, and reproductive system deformations. Diethylstilbestrol was used to prevent miscarriages and it was found inefficient. The women who took Diethylstilbestrol put themselves and their kids at risk. Diethylstilbestrol was made with good intentions but the creator did not know the harmful effects it would have on its patients. There are many people still living with the side effects of Diethylstilbestrol, many of which are incurable. This exemplifies how someone can have a good idea to make someone’s life better, but in the end it can lead to a devastating aftermath.
Paradox Of The Pill. (Cover Story)." Time 175.17 (2010): 40-47. Military & Government Collection. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
Mary Zimmerman framed that women have not had ultimate control over their own bodies and health as a fundamental assumption underlying women’s health movement. Men control and dominate a huge portion of the of decision making roles in the healthcare field, such as health related research, health policy etc. Whereas women are more seen in social positions. According to the article “The Women’s Health Movement” by Mary K. Zimmerman, the concept of medicalization is the “increasing tendency to apply medical definitions and control to phenomena not previously thought of as medical problems (Zola, 1972; Conrad and Schneider, 1980). In the 1950’s a drug called Thalidomide was created by a German company, claiming that it was safe for pregnant women. Although many women were still using this drug during this time, in 1961, reports began to surface that this drug was causing several birth defects and other health problems. The author presented the Thalidomide case as an example of medicalization by showing us the potential consequences of a style medical
This pill “eliminates the external causes of death” by protecting the user from all known forms of sexually transmitted diseases, providing an unlimited libido, and extending youth and by serving as a “sure-fire one-time-does-it-all-birth-control pill” for men and woman (294). In sum, it “was designed to take a set of givens, namely the nature of human nature, and steer these givens in a more beneficial direction” (293). The pill would take everything about a human’s nature and change it in a way to benefit society and create a beneficial society or a utopia
The opportunity to bring life into the world is a priceless moment, and for that to be threatened by a disease; such as Placenta Previa, is heartbreaking. Placenta previa is commonly described as the imbedding of the placenta over or close to the cervix. According to the Permanente Medical Group, during a normal pregnancy the placenta forms at the top part of the uterus far from the cervix. However in placenta previa, the placenta tends to attach to the lower section of the uterus either covering or partially over the cervix, making it almost impossible for a normal delivery (vaginal birth) to take place (Placenta Previa). Placenta previa complicates about 1 in every 200 deliveries and is one of the top leading causes of vaginal bleedings for the second and third trimester (Getahun). It is also related with the escalation of risks of maternal and infant illness and death (Getahun). Instead of there being a specific or many solutions over the years, doctors have come to agreement with different treatments for placenta previa. The obvious solution to placenta previa is to reduce your risks by avoiding cigarettes and any type of drugs, try to reduce your use of abortions an cesarean section, meaning no elective C-sections (The Bump). However, because the reduction in the things above is unlikely due to the mind-frame and unawareness of today’s women, the medical board has to think of alternative treatments to placenta previa, such as bed rest, constant monitoring through-out the pregnancy, and cesarean section. In this essay, I will evaluate the above listed treatments, which stage the doctor will suggest the treatment and explain which I believe is best.
In the 1950’s, the search was on for a reliable oral contraceptive. Research began based
Young mother Molly Jones Gray always wished of holding soft delicate babies in her hands, but never expected to have trouble trying to get pregnant. She had many miscarriages, and learned that because of household products she had could not become pregnant. She became part of a study to find out if there were any chemicals in her body that she did not know of. According to the study, Molly had higher levels of mercury, in contrast to the other women in the study. She also learned that the household cleaners she was currently using affected not only her, but also the fetus inside her. Health experts today are trying to examine the health risks involved with cosmetics, cleaning products, and cans (Toxic).
The ways in which a woman could have an abortion were high in numbers. According to Knight (1977), woman could purchase medicines and drugs at a chemist to acquire an abortion, drugs such as quinine. There was also a number of cases of lead poisoning, as a doctor had seen 100 cases of it from 18...
Shniderman, Nancy, and Sue Hurwitz. Drugs and Birth Defects. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 1993. Print.
“When a motherhood becomes the fruit of a deep yearning, not the result of ignorance or accident, its children will become the foundation of a new race." (Margaret Sanger, 1) Margaret Sanger, known as the founder of birth control, declared this powerful statement. It is reality that the rights that are customary for women in the twentieth century have been the product of the arduous physical and mental work of many courageous women. These individuals fought for the right for women to be respected in both mind and body by bestowing on them the rights to protect their femininity and to gain the equivalent respect given to men. A remarkable woman named Margaret Sanger is the individual who incredibly contributed to the feministic revolution that took place in the 1920’s. Her legacy of making the right to use birth control legal for woman is a precedent in history for the foundation of the equal rights battle that is still being fought today. By giving control back to the women in their sexuality, Margaret Sanger also restored confidence in those women who felt that their lives revolved around pregnancy. She has become an influential icon to women all around the world who enjoy the security of birth control that gives them the freedom in their sexuality on a daily bases.
For thousands of years, people have used various birth control methods to limit the number of children in their families. Birth control encompasses a wide range of devices along with rational and irrational methods that have been used in an attempt to prevent pregnancy. It has been and remains controversial. Today, birth control is an essential part of life. In fact, 99% American women of childbearing age report using some form of contraception at one time or another (NIBH). In his book, The Birth of the Pill: How Four Crusaders Reinvented Sex and Launched a Revolution, author Jonathan Eig writes "For as long as men and women have been making babies, they 've been trying not to” (Gibson). He reports that early contraceptive options offered
...ven the smallest chance of contracting a serious disease, that there is a risk, makes it dangerous. The fact that this treatment could possibly lead one to commit suicide is horrifying. The fact that this medication could cause the death of an unborn child is dreadful. Every life matters. In other words, despite the fact that many people may not be affected as severely as others due to isotretinoin, it can still pose harm. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry. Therefore, isotretinoin should not be used because of the fact that its risks far outweigh the benefits.
Abortion, like any other medical procedure, carries some risks. When one considers, however, that “the risk of death associated with childbirth is about 10 times as high as that associated with abortion” (“Know the Facts”), the threat of abortion suddenly does not seem as perilous. Additionally, contrary to popular misconception, abortion does not contribute to future infertility or development of breast cancer. It is therefore safer and more prudent to have an abortion than an unwanted pregnancy.
Guttmacher, Alan. "Mifepristone s Safety Is Well-Established." Clinical Fact Sheets: Mifepristone Safety Overview. Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, Apr. 2008. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.
Hormonal contraception refers to “birth control methods that act on the endocrine system” (Correa, Petchesky, 1994, p.3). Throughout history the development of hormonal contraception has been viewed as a wonderful, more convenient method to avoid unwanted pregnancies. This is seen to many as a positive thing for women’s equality. However, hormonal contraception has only been developed for females. Current methods of hormonal contraception have many harmful side effects that can alter the mental and physical health of an individual. These side effects negatively impact on heterosexual women’s lives, as many feel “pressure and responsibility” (Lipton-Lubet, 2012) to take hormonal contraception if they do not want to conceive.
Chambers, C. D., Polifka, J. E., & Friedman, J. M. (2008). Drug safety in pregnant women and their babies: ignorance not bliss. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 83(1), 181-183.