#TIL: Even in a heavily researched book involving both law and medicine, the author still can‘t use anatomically correct terms for female reproductive parts, relying on the euphemism “down below” instead?
FFS, that‘s ridiculous. In a book about courageous women who were empowered to fight back against corruption and corporate greed, and the author can‘t say vagina? Come on, break the stigma, stop the shaming.
Okay. Rant over. #NFNov
alisiakae Soapbox moment continued, because as an #endowarrior this really pisses me off to read this in a recently published nonfiction book dealing with an industrial health crisis that affected mostly women. Dealing with endometriosis for years, do you know how much easier my life would have been in my 20‘s if female gynecological problems were taken more seriously? #breakthestigma 5y
marleed Oh geez, to my chagrin, I didn‘t notice that. Very good point! 5y
alisiakae @marleed My battle with endometriosis has made my ears finely tuned to this. And if you can‘t tell 😂, it‘s an issue I am particularly passionate about. ☺️ 5y
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marleed @4thhouseontheleft I understand. When I was raising my 2 kids, I read advice on using anatomically correct terms - penis, vagina... The logic was that using cutesy terms is babyish and as kids mature those terms embarrass them. And then you are left with no teenage and grown terms in which to communicate. I believed that so never assigned cutesy or vulgar names. 5y
alisiakae @marleed I see that in my parents. While they both are always extremely interested and concerned when I have endo flare-ups, and during my two surgeries, but both my parents (they are 70) are incapable of saying vagina or uterus, and still visibly flinch when I use those words (along with tampon, period, etc etc that my dad likes to call “women‘s problems”.) 🙄 5y
Eyelit Omg. This is so disappointing- especially since it‘s a female author. 5y
wanderinglynn So disappointing. You should totally write the author about this because I think you have a great & compelling story that would resonate and stigmatizing genitals, especially the female reproductive system, is an important social issue. 5y
LauraJ FFS indeed! 5y
alisiakae @wanderinglynn That's what I said to my husband! I probably will email the author after I finish the book. 5y
LaraS I second everything everyone has said here. Language matters, and how we use it can both give power or take it away. (edited) 5y
rsteve388 4 pts 5y
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