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Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Barefoot and Pre-Pregnant

Posted by on May 17 at 11:05 AM

Barefoot and pregnant—or if not pregnant, then “pre-pregnant.”

We’ve known for a long time that the American Taliban and their allies in the Bush administration view pregnant women as little more than incubators. Well, now guess what? New guidelines released by the CDC reveal that the Bush administration views women who aren’t pregnant as little more than empty incubators. You may not be pregnant/incubating now, ladies, but you could/should become pregnant soon! From the Washington Post:

Forever Pregnant

Guidelines: Treat Nearly All Women as Pre-Pregnant

New federal guidelines ask all females capable of conceiving a baby to treat themselves—and to be treated by the health care system—as pre-pregnant, regardless of whether they plan to get pregnant anytime soon.

Among other things, this means all women between first menstrual period and menopause should take folic acid supplements, refrain from smoking, maintain a healthy weight and keep chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes under control.

While most of these recommendations are well known to women who are pregnant or seeking to get pregnant, experts say it’s important that women follow this advice throughout their reproductive lives, because about half of pregnancies are unplanned and so much damage can be done to a fetus between conception and the time the pregnancy is confirmed.

Gee, it looks like Margaret Atwood was on to something. (It’s time to re-read or rent The Handmaids Tale.) Ordering American women and their doctors to regard every uterus as “pre-pregnant” at all times because a woman may do harm to a fetus she doesn’t know she’s carrying opens the door to one day prosecuting women for failing to regard themselves as “pre-pregnant.” Sound far-fetched? Well, so did a war on contraception a few years ago.

Of course, the Bush administration’s CDC has nothing to say about single, sexually-active straight men being treated as “pre-fathers.” As a parent and a male, I’d say that smoking, obesity, and chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes could seriously hamper a man’s ability to do the heavy lifting that comes with fatherhood. But men don’t have to “maintain a healthy weight” or quit smoking. When it comes to men’s bodies and choices, the CDC is silent. Weird.

There’s a Straight Rights Update in this week’s Savage Love—it takes up half of the column. Every time I write one I think, “Hey, this is the last one. Blocking life-saving vaccines, banning abortion, destroying sex education, moving to ban birth control—it can’t get much worse, right? Then you pick up the next day’s paper and wham! Things just got worse!

Three more years. Holy crap—how are we going to get through this?!?!


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That is the most offensive thing I've heard in years. (And I've been reading the Stranger for years...ba-dum-BAH!).

Pre-pregnant????????? WTF!!!!!!!

I know you are always calling for straight people to stand up and fight this crap (show me where to enlist), but if straight people won't fight shouldn't women's rights.. women fight it? Or do they not exist in a world where Paris Hilton sells a million copies of her book?

If you go to the CDC yourself, and not rely on that bullshit WaPo article, you'll see that the CDC recommendations are very different. The CDC recommends that doctors consult with their female patients about family planning, both how to avoid pregnancy and how to plan for it.

A reproductive health plan reflects a person’s intentions regarding the number and timing of pregnancies in the context of their personal values and life goals. This health plan might increase the number of planned pregnancies and encourage persons to address risk behaviors before conception, reducing the risk for adverse outcomes for both the mother and the infant.

Keshmeshi, I found that to be one of the most horrifying parts of the article. It's depressing enough to be single in your 20s or 30s without having your doctor announce, "Okey-dokey, now let's make a plan for how you're going to get pregnant!"

They're not virgins anymore. They're "pre-fucked".

You can start by sending as many of these right-wing bastards packing in November (well, January, but the election's in November) as you can.

One suggestion: Instead of preaching to a choir whose vote you already have, mobilize Democrats and Independent voters in red states. It starts at the roots. You're not gonna win nearly every race up for grabs, but you can take what you can.

just make sure they are not Racist democrats. They are out there and they are in your heros ranks Libs. When is it gonna get through your thick skulls that Dems are just as fucked up as republican conservatives. With a past like theirs no wonder people vote Republican.Including many Blacks and woman.
The Dems are just as if not more Racist and they still do not own up to their past. Racism and Sexism is still going on in the democratic party.

you would think the would support free-health care for the pre-pregnant

Hey, Gomez: Can I use "pre-fucked" in my column next week?

The distain for women among these righwingers is growing.

Thank god, many the girls of this era are hip to all this crap.

Go for it, Dan.

The CDC's report (not that it's mentioned in the WaPo article) does recommend providing health care to women as a way to bring down infant mortality.

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