Heavy sarcasm ahead ...

[apocalypsos]

I think the "all women are pre-pregnant" thing is a fabulous idea. In fact, I think we should all go take hits off the air in the nearest cigar bar, mainline tequila, and have unprotected sex to celebrate.

For the record, my mother's been cleaning up cat feces since before I was born, and it hasn't had a negative effect on me. Well, unless you count those years she decided *I* was old enough to clean it, and I sure as hell do.

I need to write today. Deprivation! My next Supernatural story will be my fiftieth and I still have to finish the House of Wax recap. Of course, recapping's always better with booze, so that may have to wait for Friday.

I'm getting my haircut on Friday and I'm torn between getting it styled in a nice little bob to my chin or just getting a trim and letting it grow out for Winchestercon (YAY!). Eh. I'll probably let it grow out, although that just means it'll be a bitch to deal with until Winchestercon (YAY!). (Heh. I'll probably be doing that until October, because Winchestercon = YAY!. Speaking of which, USA Today says SPN's been renewed for a second season. They'd better be right, goddamn it.)

Comments

[followingmyfish.livejournal.com]

The problem is not with the health guidelines, which are for the most part sensible and things that everyone (women and men alike) should try to follow. The problem is that the article is written in such a way that it assumes that all women want to or plan to be pregnant, and that we should take care of ourselves not for our own sakes, but for the sakes of the children that we may or may not ever have. It comes dangerously close to seeing women less as people and more as walking incubators, IMHO.

Interestingly, the original CDC report actually does stress the importance of fixing the healthcare system as a part of the solution - the WaPo article just didn't happen to mention that part.

[a-hollow-year.livejournal.com]

???

From the article:

The CDC report also discusses disparities in care, noting that approximately 17 million women lack health insurance and are likely to postpone or forgo care. These disparities are more prominent among minority groups and those of lower socioeconomic status, the report states.

The NCHS data also reflect these disparities. Babies born to black mothers, for example, had the highest rate of infant death -- 13.5 per 1,000 live births. Infants born to white women had a death rate of 5.7 per 1,000.

Obstacles to preconception care include getting insurance companies to pay for visits and putting the concept into regular use by doctors and patients.

As I said, it's couched in these terms so they can say they're doing something about the infant mortality rate without actually, you know, doing anything about it moneywise.