Tag Archives: health

Why Postpartum Depression is a Feminist Issue

19 Dec

Five months ago today, I gave birth to a beautiful, perfectly healthy baby girl.  I had a smooth, uncomplicated delivery and was immediately enthralled with my daughter. Everything about her – from her little button nose to her ridiculously tiny finger nails – was absolute perfection. Admittedly, the first six weeks were the closest thing to torture I’ve endured: zero sleep, a stitched up vagina, sore nipples, and no mental capacity to do anything more complicated than brushing my teeth.

What was all this nonsense about childbirth “being totally worth it”?! I’m kidding. Sort of.

After those first grueling weeks, which I endured like a champ, I was hit with postpartum depression seemingly out of nowhere. Right as I was sliding into a comfort zone as a new mother and gaining confidence that one day soon I’d be able to hold an adult conversation again, the proverbial rug was yanked out from underneath me.  I spent countless hours sobbing, couldn’t eat, suffered from insomnia, and was convinced my life was over.  I felt like a terrible mother – I have this gorgeous, happy and healthy little human and I couldn’t stop crying or screaming at my husband long enough to appreciate my good fortune. I was crumbling on the inside and, like an out of body experience, was watching myself push loved ones away in the midst of uncontrollable outbursts.

It took weeks of urging from my husband, parents and friends before I relented and sought professional help. Today, I question why I waited. It boils down to one word: stigma. Women are supposed to love motherhood and embrace it with an almost unspeakable enthusiasm. So what was wrong with me?

I’ve spent way too much time pulling at that thread, and while doing so, realized that the stigma associated with postpartum depression is not unlike that of other “women’s” issues: rape, abortion, domestic violence.  Each of these involves complex emotions and they are, statistically speaking, widely shared experiences. However, they are also largely shrouded in silence, with expectations of guilt and shame. The feminist community has rallied around rape and domestic violence victims and has worked tirelessly to eliminate stigma surrounding abortion. And while postpartum depression is a complicated multi-layered issue, its feminist component is coming into sharper focus by the day.

By definition, postpartum depression is entwined with motherhood, which itself is extremely politicized and scrutinized: from how and where a woman gives birth, to whether and how long she breastfeeds, to her decision to stay at home or work, etc. It’s an issue that the feminist community has become increasingly vocal about. So why the silence around postpartum depression?

Postpartum depression is deserving of attention and action from multiple communities, including the feminist community. We need to raise our voices to increase public awareness of the issue, so that women do not feel stigmatized, and demand availability and access to support services. While it is experienced exclusively by women, postpartum depression has a ripple effect; and unless it’s addressed on a large scale, women and their families will continue to suffer in silence.

I firmly believe that speaking out about an issue is the first step in erasing its stigma. So this is me, speaking out and sharing my story, albeit a very abbreviated version.

Have you had experience with postpartum depression?

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Quick Hit: Population Council’s Awesomeness

20 Jun pop council

The Population Council is an organization I’ve long admired. It conducts research throughout the developing world in 50+ countries to improve policies, programs, and products in three key areas: HIV and AIDS; poverty, gender, and youth; and reproductive health. Its research unlocks solutions to challenging situations — like unintended pregnancies, gender-based violence, female genital cutting, child marriage and more — and helps give vulnerable populations a voice in the global arena.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who really digs the Population Council; Sigourney Weaver recently filmed a short video about the organization. Take a few minutes to check it out:

Now, put on your awesome hat and make a donation! Some amazing donor has promised to match all contributions made by June 30, up to $35,000 — that’s pretty amazing and will go a long way towards sparking change and improving lives.

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Taking the Test

24 Oct hiv

By Linda Kokenge

I took an HIV test on October 4, 2011, four days before my 28th birthday.   A week or so prior, I decided that I needed to accomplish three things in my life:  get a job, move into my own apartment, and take an HIV test.  The first two things were relatively easy to accomplish. It was taking the test that scared me.

A little background on why I decided to take an HIV test.  I was black-out drunk when I met the man that I eventually called my boyfriend, who I’ll call Ronald.  I had gone out earlier in the night with a close friend, but ended up stumbling home alone after drinking a few too many whiskies. It was during my walk home that he and I met. What followed next is hazy; I can only recall bits and pieces of the evening. The one thing that I know for sure, though, is that I had unprotected sex with him that night.

As I would later find out, in 2008 Ronald had unprotected sex with a woman who was HIV-positive. When he finally told me, I was devastated.  I felt overwhelmed with thoughts of my own future and scared that I couldn’t trust him. Even though he claimed to be HIV-negative, thoughts about being HIV-positive were always in the back of my mind. When I finally came to terms with the fact that I needed to take the test for myself, I had a long conversation with my sister and called Planned Parenthood to schedule an appointment.

It’s hard for me to describe the feelings of gratitude I have for the women working at Planned Parenthood.  As I walked into the waiting room, the two women at the front desk recognized my feelings of anxiety, and were extremely professional when answering my questions. I immediately felt calm and more in control of the situation; I felt like I was in a safe space. These feelings of safety and support remained, even after I left an hour and a half later with my test result. Which, by the way, was negative.

I decided to tell my story for a number of reasons. Of all the emotions that I experienced while waiting for my test results, the feelings of guilt and fear created by the stigma surrounding HIV were the hardest to deal with. This needs to change. Accurate and real world accounts of people living with HIV should be accessible to young adults as they make decide to become sexually active. In order to be effective, these accounts must be based on facts and experience, not fear.

Along with the stress caused by social stigmas surrounding the virus, the stereotypes and misconceptions that are associated with taking an HIV test need to be addressed.  I was terrified to tell my loved ones and felt ashamed when I finally told my sister. No one should deal with the anxiety of taking an HIV test alone, especially when the source of those feelings is deeply rooted in misinformation.

If you have never taken an HIV test and feel like there may be a possibility that you have the virus, go take the test.  Find a Planned Parenthood in your area.  Surround yourself with people who care about you and do whatever you need to do to get there. The anxiety that you are feeling now is far worse than knowing the truth.  Whatever the result may be.

About the author: Linda Michelle Kokenge currently writes about feminism and social justice from her one bedroom apartment in Cincinnati, Ohio. A lover of dialogue and doomed sociologist, she hopes to someday start an after school program that puts critical theory to practice. You can find her on Twitter @feministeyeview or on her slightly neglected blog, Feminist Eye View.

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Happy Love Your Body Day!

19 Oct lybd

Today is national Love Your Body Day. Some may not see the value in selecting a day to celebrate our bodies, but when you consider that 80% of American women are dissatisfied with their appearance, I think it’s a fabulous idea. Every woman should take a step back and appreciate what they’ve got — if not every day, then at the very least, on this particular day.

Women and girls are constantly bombarded with images and messages of what their bodies ought to look like — from Hollywood to the fashion and cosmetic industries, to print and TV ads. Images of thin, beautiful and “unblemished” (ahem, Photoshop) women crop up virtually everywhere, sending the subliminal — if not overt — message that our bodies, faces and hair need constant improvement.

Whatever happened to focusing on what your body can do instead of how it looks?

Like many women, for years I battled with a horrifically negative body image and an eating disorder. To this day, I still struggle with accepting my body. I’ve had to literally re-train my brain to focus on the positives, instead of comparing myself to Kim Kardashian’s figure (and berating myself for not looking like her). At 30 years old, my body sure isn’t what it was at 16. I don’t have a six pack and I don’t wear a size 3 anymore. But you know what? I’m awesome — curves and all!

So in the spirit of Love Your Body Day, here are a few reasons why I love my body: My body can bring life into this world and sustain it. My body can run a 5k and do squat jumps and push ups. My body has curves that my husband loves. My body is healthy. My body has art work that ten years later, I still love. My body has imperfections, but these imperfections tell a story — MY story.

It’s high time we start focusing on our positive attributes. And while we’re at it, let’s call out advertisers and the media that enforce unrealistic beauty standards, sexual ideals and gender stereotypes. To these ends, visit NOW-NYC’s blog, FIGUREatively Speaking and their #notcool page. And if you’re on Twitter, tweet why you love your body with the hash tag #LYBD.

What do you love about your body?

 

Note: This post is part of the 2011 Love Your Body Day Blog Carnival

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Links We Love

9 Jun Daily_News

Fight Over Planned Parenthood Funding Could Be Key Issue in 2012 Election, Women’s Health Policy Report

Santorum Calls Abortion Exceptions To Protect Health of Mother “Phony,” Think Progress

Portland Passes Trans Inclusive Health Care, Feministing

Bill Introduced Lifting Block on Servicewomen’s Abortion Rights, Ms. Magazine

How We Could Be Preventing Unwanted Pregnancies, And Aren’t, Jezebel

Phoenix Clinic Cares for Women With Cut Genitals, Women’s eNews

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Links We Love

22 Feb extra-extra-paper

Happy reading from our usual suspects :)

Wisconsin Workers’ Rights are a Feminist Issue, Feministing

Faithful Men Fight the Threat of Ovulating Ladies, Jezebel

Flawed Study Dismissing Job Bias Thrills Media, Women’s eNews

DC Council Proposes Bill to Increase Birth Control Access, Ms. Magazine’s Feminist Wire Daily Newsbriefs

How Breastpumps Became a Political Issue, The Daily Beast

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Late-term Abortion: Setting the Record Straight

23 Jan think

Late-term abortion is back in the news, thanks to Dr. Kermit Gosnell. The problem is, these news stories are accusing Gosnell of performing late-term “abortions.” As I explain in my previous post, this is a dangerous misrepresentation of the word.

It occurred to me that while I recognize this conflation, others may not. Whether because of anti-choice propaganda or just plain ol’ ignorance, late-term abortion is precariously misunderstood. So I’d like to set the record straight.

While first trimester abortions are typically “elective procedures,” late-term abortions — generally defined as those occurring after 24 weeks — are not. Nor are they common: only one percent of abortions in the U.S. occur after 21 weeks.

Women seeking these procedures did not suddenly decide that pregnancy and motherhood are, in fact, not for them. They are women who are forced to make excruciatingly difficult decisions, faced with “fetal deformities so severe their child either would not survive pregnancy, would be born only to die, or in which carrying the pregnancy to term would threaten” their very survival (via RH Reality Check).

For instance: a recent New York Times article about abortion in New York City quotes a doctor who gives the example of a “41-year-old who’s been trying for seven years to get pregnant, then at 21 weeks finds out she has breast cancer and has to terminate the pregnancy.” RH Reality Check has also compiled a number of stories from women who were forced to make this painful decision and are brave enough to share their experiences.

So there you have it.

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Kermit’s “Abortion” Clinic

21 Jan

By now, the news is saturated with stories about Dr. Kermit Gosnell, who operated a clinic in a low-income Philadelphia neighborhood until its closure last year. It was here that Kermie (sorry, I can’t help myself) allegedly performed late-term “abortions” in the cruelest manner and in the crudest environment. (For details, you can view the Grand Jury Report here).

So much of the news has focused on the horrific depravity and gruesome details of Gosnell’s unlicensed procedures. But somehow, a key piece of information is missing: If he delivered live, breathing babies and then killed them, as is alleged, this is not abortion (thank you Feministing for correctly pointing this out). It is another matter entirely.

This conflation is very, very dangerous.

Also largely absent from mainstream discussions about Gosnell are the implications of his clinic, and ones like it, on the larger women’s health picture. The conditions Gosnell’s patients endured are representative of what will become commonplace in the face of extreme abortion restrictions. Making abortion inaccessible or illegal will not rid this country of its existence, as some would like to believe. Rather, when safe, legal services remain inaccessible for thousands of women, whether because of their age or financial resources, women will turn to clinics like Gosnell’s. Don’t kid yourselves otherwise.

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