“Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus began talking with her.” “His disciples returned, and were shocked that he was talking with a woman.”
Dehumanizing women was a routine ancient practice. It remains a routine current practice. One aspect of the ongoing dehumanization is related to sex and pregnancy. Under patriarchy, sex and subsequently pregnancy, are less celebrated as a mystery of our humanity and more judged as a problem caused by women, especially when women of color become pregnant. For example, James Marion Sims (1813-1883) is credited as the “father of gynecology” even though he was employed by slaveowners who routinely raped their Black female slaves. Neither the culture nor Sims identified this rape as a crime, let alone as a problem. Sims used his plantation calls to perform reproductive experiments on Black women held as slaves, without anesthesia, though it was available. The problem of pregnancy by women of color drove the origins of patriarchy’s abortion industrial complex. Patriarchy’s Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger (1879-1966), who regularly affiliated with white supremacists and attended KKK rallies, wanted to “protect society against the propagation and increase of the unfit.” “There is only one thing I want to be in touch with and that is the Negro Project.” Let us “employ a full-time Negro physician.” “They can get closer to their own members… which means their ignorance, superstitions, and doubts.” “We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population… if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members.” U.S. sterilization laws, which German Nazis borrowed, targeted Black women who were rendered infertile and harmed by experimental birth control with harmful side effects. Non-government organizations across the world continue to document the experiences of Black women targeted for harmful birth control experiments and being denied warnings about harmful side effects (e.g Depo Provera). Ignoring or allowing harm to women regarding their fertility marks patriarchy’s dehumanization of women. Attending to even minor inconveniences to men regarding their fertility marks patriarchy’s entitled treatment of men.
Gabriele Blair addresses the dehumanizing vs. entitled treatment in her book, Ejaculate Responsibly. Blair includes the fact that ovulation, a woman’s fertility, happens naturally without her control. But a man’s fertility can be controlled, men can control their ejaculation. Her position is blasphemous to patriarchy. Patriarchy assumes women do all the work of pregnancy prevention and thus most of us do too. We are trained to protect a man’s manhood and not only not harm him but not inconvenience him. Thus, a rare male birth control study was stopped after some men complained of acne. Too, studies and funding are plentiful for Viagra experiments so that a small percentage of older men do not suffer from erectile dysfunction. But the same studies and funding are not so plentiful to help so many more women suffering from the pain of menstrual cramps. Society and the medical system do not identify women’s pain as a problem. In fact, women are expected to suffer pain, for example, the pain and many harmful side effects of birth control (barrier methods; Depo Provera Shots; hormonal implants, patches, pills; IUD; non-hormonal gel; vaginal ring). The harm to women includes acne, and also bacterial infections, blood clots, bone density loss, breast soreness, cramping, death, dizziness, headaches, heart attacks, high blood pressure, increased appetite, irregular to heavy menstrual bleeding, mood changes, nausea, pain or bruising at insertion site, strokes, suicidal depression, urinary tract infections, vaginal discharge/itching, and yeast infections. All this harm is done women while little if any inconvenience is done men. Male fertility is assumed and any control of it is experienced as the harm done. Thus, the U.S. has an $8 billion dollar birth control industry, 95% of which targets women for experimentation and harm. Sexually active women concern themselves on a daily basis with their fertility and birth control. Yet women only ovulate for 12 to 24 hours in a month and are fertile for a very short time. Men may concern themselves with their fertility for a few minutes before having sex and need not ever again. They certainly need not concern themselves if an unwanted pregnancy results as patriarchy has convinced women it is the woman’s “choice,” or her “right” to abort the baby. Yet it is men, whose fertility is entirely predictable, who cause all unwanted pregnancies. The author knows it takes two for sex but an unwanted pregnancy is strictly the result of a man ejaculating irresponsibly. Patriarchal society’s Planned Parenthood cult began by coercing women – only – starting as teenagers, to use birth control and to submit to whatever life-long harm it causes. Author Gabriele Blair asks us to join her in changing the public conversations and actions on sex, fertility, and pregnancy. Men, from the time they are teens, need to be asked what are their practices to ejaculate responsibly; when are they getting their vasectomy; and what is the birth control they are using.
Prayer: Beautiful Spirit, we are grateful for the mystery of sex, fertility, and pregnancy.
Question: How have I treated fertility and responsibility for it differently between women and men?
March 12, 2023 Gospel John 4:5-42 Third Sunday of Lent