Being assigned the reading “Better Dead than Pregnant: The Colonization of Native Women’s Reproductive Rights” written by Andrea Smith, informed me of the horrors of sterilization happening to Native women all over the world. The truth behind sterilization terrifies me now and I am in disbelief almost at how atrocious I found some of this article.
I chose two sections from the article because I thought they tied together nicely, and play off of each other. The two sections I chose are found on page 85 and 93. The first section outlines how sterilization abuse is still happening today, not only in Indian Health systems, however in societies around the world, for example the reading mentions Haiti using similar practices. Indian women said they were forced into sterilization and did not offer consent, neither written or oral. Smith writes, “ Sterilization abuse, while curbed, is certainly not dead, either in IHS or society at large. One woman I know went into IHS in the 1990’s for back surgery and came out with a hysterectomy… ‘They shut me up in a room and forced me to get undressed. Everything that happened was because they used force. I didn’t want to go through with it.’ Several women died during sterilization operations, which were carried out under non-hygienic conditions” (87). Immediately after reading this particular portion i felt sick. I guess that is why it stuck out to me at first, however once I analyzed for some time I felt more angry and disturbed with the reading. I do not know everything about IHS, however I do know that the indian population is not what it used to be because “we” came over and killed off many of them. The issue of sterilization to me seems like the opposite of what should be happening to indian population, because of the lack of population they have already. This absence of respect the doctors or those performing the sterilizations have for the Indian women is what kept sticking to my mind while reading, which leads to the other section of the article I chose to highlight.
Here is an cartoon image of a woman being dragged into a room unwillingly to be sterilized. (http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2384/were-40-of-native-american-women-forcibly-sterilized-in-the-1970s)
On page 93 Norplant was brought up, which is a contraceptive that is a small bar placed under the skin and can have some scary side effects. Starting in the late 1980’s in Bangladesh women were using this contraceptive unknowing of the adverse side effects, Smith writes, “women receiving Norplant in Bangladesh without their informed consent were not able to have it removed when they developed side effects. Furthermore, when they reported side effects, doctors scolded them and refused to record the information. One woman attempting to get it removed told her doctor, ‘I’m dying, please help me get it out.’ Her doctor responded, ‘OK, when you die you inform us, we’ll get it out of your dead body’” (93). This paragraph illustrates perfectly the complete disrespect the doctors have for women and their bodies. These women who received the contraceptive went into it blind because they had no idea of the side effects which could occur from using it. If a doctor ever said something such as stated in the quote, I would sue, personally (if possible, I am in the dark about legal matters and if that could actually happen). Women have rights, and they also have choices. Both the sections from the article I chose displayed the rights being stripped from women both Indian and those in Bangladesh. I believe the doctors should have informed the women the contraceptive was going to be irreversible before they performed the surgery for it. Sterilization/contraceptive abuse is prevalent in society, and I can’t help but wonder, what if that was me?
Many, many women today use contraceptives, and are uninformed about the issues that come with them. If something is going to be done to fix this issue it needs to be carried out “up-steam”. Both the contraceptives with deadly side effects, and the sterilization of Indian women is a women’s right issue, and also an issue of race. While browsing online I found many images and articles relating sterilization to the creation of a superior race. This idea of a “superior race” is ridiculous and out-dated in my opinion, however clearly many (including the doctors performing surgeries) believe in a super race. It scares me that a part of society cares so much about not having colored people around that they are willing to perform deadly surgeries without consent, and in the case of contraceptives are willing to let women suffer for the sake of them not reproducing.
I came across an interesting article online about forced sterilization, and how women were having the surgery performed on them unknowingly, and how the nurses also did not know all the information pertaining to the forced sterilizations. The woman interviewed in the article, who was a nurse at the time many more un-consented sterilizations were happening (1930-1970’s), confesses that she was only doing what she believed was the right thing to do because those above her in authority had told her to. I can reason with the woman in some respects because I as well am a pushover and do whatever I am told to whenever, however putting yourself in the shoes in those being sterilized would have been enough for me to stand up and say no. Recently holding my sisters newborn baby, and watching her interact with her child as a new mother I could never agree with the idea of ending the opportunity for a woman to have a family of her own. When women are stripped of the right to be a mother of their own child, that is a red light for society. We should not care about race, or how many kids one has had or wants to have, because the right to have children is the right of women, and women’s bodies. They are our own, and are not to be tampered with in such horrific ways.
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