DNA studies are proving to be more effective than pap smears at preventing cervical cancer in women. Nothing novel to those in the medical and science field. Nope. And yet, putting women in stirrups vis-a-vis a means by which we are humiliated and ostracized shall continue.
You don't believe me? Take a little peek at these results that would save millions in insurance and public health resources. Published more than four years ago. How many of you knew about this research before today?
That my friends is the patriarchy. Nobody truly cares about women's risk for cancer. They care about dollars and humiliation. In the former days, it was about looking at women's private parts and humilitation. That is a story in and of itself that I can post about some other time. We've graduated up and put a dollar amount on the cost of women's dignity.
Fuck the patriarchy and anything that looks like it. I got matzoh to eat!
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Today In History
1 hour ago
This has nothing to do with the patriarchy. I will buy a money argument to some degree, more pap smears, more $$ for Labcorp, but the slow adoption of new studies is nothing new and actually the proper response. The studies may be wrong, there may be exceptions or there may be regulatory or intellectual property issues. Not saying any of those things isn't a problem, but I just don't see a patriarchy issue here.
ReplyDeleteI disagree Fish. Look at the plethora of studies, the time in which it took for them to be adopted, and the accuracy around mamograms and the cost effectivness of them. That all happened because of grassroots organizations.
ReplyDeleteI understand how science and research works. However, pap smears have been around a long time. These studies should have been done years ago. If nobody gives a damn, time is the excuse.
is a cervical cancer screening the only reason for getting a pap smear? that study is very interesting. i know the wife goes every year and i hate paying for it. of course, i don't know what goes on in there re: humiliation. but everything in the health care industry is about the greenbacks. just a few weeks ago i had an xray that would not determine if i had a sress fracture in my leg to see if i had a stress fracture in my leg. why? so i could sit in a waiting room with no pants on?
ReplyDeleteYes, John. Paps are to explore cervical dysplasia which can be indicative of HPV.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing worse than a pap for women in my opinion, is a mammogram. Imagine lying down on the garage floor at 6am on a winter morning. Now have your breasts touched by some random tech you don't know. Smile for the camera! Good times.
Medicine has so little respect for human dignity. While it has improved in some areas, it has gotten worse in others.
Despite what folks think about mental health, please allow me to generalize and make this way too simple because it has some of the best practices. For example, we were well trained at HMS in Boston on how to deliver to families the news. This included how we would react to their tears and fear. Despite how hard it was, watching senior attendings talk with the families of patients with bipolar and first episode schizophrenic was quite rewarding. S/he was dedicated to their dignity being in tact, as best as possible, before they went back onto the street. It was truly remarkable.
I miss those days.
I'm with Fish; I don't see the patriarchy issue here. The application of science is, and should be, a slow process.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's about humiliation? Really? I doubt there is any evidence for that whatsoever. When the doctor grabs my balls and makes me cough, is that about humiliation too? Or just the best known way of doing it? I'd rather have my health than my dignity (and personally I don't see how either of these procedures have anything to do with dignity).