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

[marag.livejournal.com]

There's no defense for the insanely stupid wording of the "pre-pregnant" thing, although the suggestions in there are all eminently sensible.

On the cat feces thing, if your mother got toxoplasmosis *before* she got pregnant, it wouldn't have any effect on you. Getting it *while* pregnant is quite dangerous to the baby, though.

It's a valid concern. ::shrug::

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, the suggestions might not be so bad if the wording didn't suck.

And yeah, I know, but it still sounds a little silly just in theory no matter how valid the concern. I mean, it's cleaning the cat litter. I'm sure all of the single women who have cats would love to have someone come clean their cat litter so they don't have to, but it ain't gonna happen. ;)

[slashfairy.livejournal.com]

oh, and there's the point at which all men have to know that all women are 'pre-pregnant' and so are not toys god damn it or belongings or furniture or objects or just there for you to fuck you asshole

oh, scuse me, is my rant showing?

I'm so gonna link this article. Once again, you rock, babe!

[drewbeartx.livejournal.com]

See, to me the wording suggested that we (men) are supposed to think of women more as baby factories just waiting to get to work, which would increase the objectification.

As TP said above, the suggestions are sensible, but the wording and implications thereof are more than slightly disturbing.

[slashfairy.livejournal.com]

dude i absolutely agree. there's so much like that out there. god. this is an egregious example of it.

Honest. As an RN trying to find teaching materials for my women clients: you'd be surprised how much of it has this underpinning it. And not from a 'hey, one day you might want to have a baby, so take care of the equipment in case you want it later'. no, it's 'you have an obligation to us (society) to keep this running in case we want it later'.
Brrrr.

I am SO not agreeing with the tone of this article. it gives me the creeps. I love that it's so blatant tho, and thus can actually be used to make that point!

[laughingrat.livejournal.com]

By that idiot logic, all men are pre-rapists, murderers, and spouse-abusers. Lock 'em up!

Funny how the bastards' own stupid logic never twists around to bite them in the ass in real life. It's good to be the king.

[lots42.livejournal.com]

Hmm.

Theory: The article in question was released by a FEMALE flunky of the govt. who was sick of her husband not cleaning the catbox

To be fair

[laughingrat.livejournal.com]

the bastards

Sexists. Not men. Although sadly it does comprise a largeish percentage thereof.

[lots42.livejournal.com]

Funny how the bastards' own stupid logic never twists around to bite them in the ass in real life.
-----

IIRC, a Californian campus got lawyers all a twitter after some dingdongs posted the names of innocent men with a caption indicating that these men were potential rapists.

There's something special going on in California.

[hellziggy.livejournal.com]

Re: cleaning the cat box

Having been around cats most of my life, I've most likely already been exposed to toxioplasmosis and so it wouldn't be an issue. And if I haven't then I'm not going to because my cats don't go outside, so it's not an issue unless a new cat comes into the house.
That being said, when I do get pregnant you can bet your ass I'm going to take full advantage of the doctor-ordered no litter box cleaning!

[laughingrat.livejournal.com]

Heh. Sadly, this is also feasible.

Judging from what I saw growing up, the majority of households would wind up with, "Oh, you're pre-pregnant, honey? Then here's a mask to wear," not "Oh goodness, dear, let me help you with this unpleasant task I've managed to avoid so far."

Sigh.

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

I'd settle for all males, from puberty onward, being considered pre-paternal. After all, ANY sexually active male can sire a child (I think that Cary Grant sired one at the age of eighty), so perhaps medicine should pay attention to whether or nor "pre-paternal men" smoke, drink or do drugs. Perhaps we should even get Viagra removed, since in some cases it can cause heart attacks, and a man dying of a heart attack definitely isn't good for his unsired children. [/sarcasm]

[longsunday.livejournal.com]

... I'm more than slightly disturbed by that article. I can't decide if I'm loathing it because of the baby-factory mentality, or if it's a new tactic to address weight problems in women: 'you should be thin because it'll save your baby!'

Because, you know. No. :D

[marag.livejournal.com]

Did I mention insanely stupid wording? ::grin::

[laughingrat.livejournal.com]

Cary Grant could have sired a child simply by sitting quietly in the next room. That man-minx!

I don't know where I was going with that, but I find your sarcasm refreshing. :-D

[sweill.livejournal.com]

What ANGERS me about this is the implicit 'women can't be trusted' vibe that runs through the article. Yep, we're whores and too stupid and selfish to be in good shape for a pregnancy. Thanks, guys. (It's right up there with the whole 'we can't legalize embryonic stem cell research because evil women will conceive and abort for $$$$)

What SCARES me about this is the very real possibility that if the pro-lifers get their way in government, there might come a time when this shit becomes LEGISLATION...

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

YAY!

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

YAY!

[budclare.livejournal.com]

*snickers* Possibly not the best context for a random "yay!"

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

Sorry, everything got wiped out of my head by her mentioning Winchestercon :P

[budclare.livejournal.com]

I completely understand. Just...funny. I had to scroll back up to figure out what you were referring to. But I'm easily amused. ;)

[kirana-44.livejournal.com]

Wow that acticle kinda makes me want to hit someone.

Really don't like the implication that all women want to have a kid some day. Cause frankly I don't want one, ever.

[veradeath.livejournal.com]

The helll????

That article, even though it raised valid healthcare points(smoking, drinking etc) just smacked of The Handmaid's Tale to me.

The baby-making-factory vibe creeped me out.

Sexist pigs. Screwy logic. *seethes*

[a-hollow-year.livejournal.com]

I honestly don't see what's so terrible about the article. It's not like you'll be arrested if you don't take supplements. The problem is that the US has one of the worst infant mortality rates in the first world; this is just a way to reduce it without shelling out for universal healthcare.

And for everyone reading this, no matter how healthy you think you are, that doesn't necessarily mean your body is going to be able to handle an accidental pregnancy. I have a friend who is wheelchair bound simply because his mother didn't get enough folic acid in the first few weeks of his gestation.

[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.

[grey-bard.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well. Does this mean I now have to explain to every doctor *ever* that I'm a lesbian because they'll ask what my method of birth control is when I refuse alcohol in the near future? Because some of us *aren't* prepregnant. No, really.

I may have kids someday, but unplanned is pretty much impossible barring some highly unlikely circumstances that I'd totally remember the day after.

[wrenlet.livejournal.com]

And see, here's what I'M thinking... if 50% of all pregnancies are unplanned, it's time for state-subsidized BIRTH CONTROL, ASSHOLES. Then women can make sure to get healthy when they're PLANNING TO HAVE CHILDREN and can do whatever the please the rest of the time. Like, you know, MEN.

*cough* Sorry. I appear to have gotten rant on your journal. *wipes it up*

[milkshake-b.livejournal.com]

*waves a lonely flag for that old, "If you do not address the reasons a women seeks an abortion, you will NEVER stop them." link*

[and-the-damned.livejournal.com]

*fuming*