On this en(gender)ed #SurvivorStories series episode, our guest is Sophia, an African-American woman and public school teacher. Sophia shares with us today her experiences as a woman of color navigating the health care industry, one which we discussed in Episode 117 with Jennifer Block, treats symptoms of illness, often they create through inadequate treatment, rather than produce solutions for long-term wellness. Our conversation explores the ways in which these systemic forces have shaped Sofia’s medical choices, the harms that resulted, and ways in which we can envision a new model of health care and wellness that prioritizes women’s bodily integrity, autonomy, and informed decision-making. Throughout our conversation, we ask Sophia to share #abusertactics, #signsofabuse, and #upstandertips.
During our conversation, Sophia and I referenced the following resources and topics:
- The racist history of women’s health in this country with J. Marion Sims
- How J. Marion Sims’ statues were removed in 2018 in NYC
- The Alabama case of Caroline Malatesta whose baby’s head was forced back into her vagina to prevent her from delivering
- The cultural history of the gendered term, “hysteria“
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