Moon Cycle pt.1 - Birth Control

recently, i've just finished up a physical anthropology class on a biocultural approach to human variation. one interesting thing i learned from the textbook from the course, was on a section discussing fecundity, fertility, and menstruation. here is the excerpt:

In U.S. women, weight loss as a consequence of caloric restriction dieting and high energy expenditure as a consequence of voluntary aerobic exercise are associated with increases in menstrual irregularity and lower hormonal indices of ovarian function. both are also associated with diminished fecundity [which differs from fertility in that fertility is the number of children a female has produced, whereas fecundity is the reproductive ability to reproduce] in epidemiological studies. in a study in Washington State, for example, it was found that women who exercise more than 1 hour a day or who are less than 85% of conventional weight-for-height standards [BMI] are five to six times more likely to be unable to conceive within a year of trying than non-exercizing, normal-weight women. the degree of weight loss or exercise necessary to produce a measurable effect on ovarian function does not need to be severe either. although highly trained endurance athletes may show profound suppression of ovarian function, often to the point of amenorrhea [loss of menstruation], moderate energetic stress appears to produce moderate suppression of ovarian hormone levels in a dose-response manner, often without any change in menstrual regularity. The effects are also readily reversible on weight gain or cessation of exercise regimes. 

similar effects can be observed in other populations in which variations in energetic state are not matters of individual choice and where energy expenditure occurs in the context of traditional subsistence work, rather than recreational exercise. In the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nepal, for example, weight loss has been associated with reduced ovarian hormone levels, whether occasioned by low energy intake or high energy expenditure. the Lese women of DRC are subsistence farmers. in many years, if conditions have not been good, they experience “hunger seasons” preceding the next year’s harvest, which begins in November  in populations studied in Nepal, workload is a primary factor; these women live in the Himalayas and travel with heavy workloads among fields situated at different altitudes. Polish farm women and rural Bolivian agropastoralists also show variation in ovarian function during seasons of heavy manual labor; the degree of ovarian suppression correlated with average workload. variation in female fecundity due to energetic stress can translate into variation in fertility, both for individuals and for populations. the age at first pregnancy among Maya women in rural Mexico declined from 21.2 to 19.5 years after the introduction of new, labor-saving technology into an agricultural community. the new machines markedly reduced the physical labor required to grind maize into corn flour and to collect water. in Ethiopia, drilling water wells in rural areas reduced the time women spent carrying water from 3 hours to 15 minutes per day. it also caused the median time interval between births to drop by about 6 months…

the sensitivity of female fecundity to female energetics is likely a product of natural selection. the energetic investment that a woman must make in reproduction is both substantial and relatively inelastic. studies of the energetics of pregnancy and lactation have shown that women must make physiological needs to meet the demands of reproduction. thus, the ability to meet these demands and the cost that must be paid in meeting them is at least partly a function of energetic state. a woman hard-pressed to meet her own metabolic needs is less likely to reproduce successfully without paying too high a price in terms of her own survival probabilities.”

what's interesting about this is that i've spoken with numerous women, and one just a few weeks prior to reading this, about her irregular cycle and maybe the fear that she didn't know what was going on coupled with an aversion to going to an ob/gyn. i personally (and politically) have issues with the medical system as a whole. the medical system in this society (biomedicine) has a host a issues existent on multiple levels. aside from the fact that biomedicine is based on a faulty, exploitative, and euro-centric foundation, it is a business. and in a capitalistic setting such as this country, anything ran under a business model (education, healthcare, etc.) is bound to have vultures who are more interested in profit than helping those seeking their services. the pharmaceutical industry alone, is a billion dollar industry that consistently sends out under-researched medicines, doctors and nurses who only think inside the mold (classic medical diagnoses and "cures"), in junction with detached patient-doctor relationships.

take the birth control pill, for example. although women have been complaining about everything from abdominal pain to excessive bleeding with IUD's, rings, and other methods, the pill also has its share of drawbacks. mood swings, hormonal imbalances, excessive bleeding, no menstruation, menstruation for extended amounts of time (i've heard or women being on their periods for 2 months straight), low libido, headaches, depression, and even issues with fertility when getting off the pill (see here, here, here (a study linking bc use to prostate cancer), here, here (what happens when you go off the bc pill after years of having been on it), and here). anything that rids your body of menstruation (unless you are inter-sex or have genetic issues that affect your reproductive system) is doing some damage to your body. there is no safe alternative.

i think there is a thread within western thinking that makes us believe not only that we can control nature; natural occurrences, but also that we should, in some sense. this conquering and dominating mentality is existent within everything from colonialism to the ways in which we see the human body. we believe that there are no consequences to this manipulation, when there most certainly, and generally, ALWAYS, is. there are drawbacks to wanting to control the earth, to wanting to control all the peoples on the earth, to wanting to control something as inevitable death. the same goes for the human body - when you try to manipulate, control, dominate, and change natural occurrences in your body, you put yourself at risk for a host of issues, ailments, and reproductive damage (sometimes irreversible). the idea that we can have sex without the fear for a child is a great one, but it shouldn't be achieved at the expense of our health.

with all that in mind, take a look back at the quoted portion. how many women know that exercise effects our menstruation and ovulation? how many women have gone to their gyno with irregular periods, caused by exercise or other strenuous activities, and been thrown on a pill as opposed to being informed about the effects certain activities have on one's cycle? why do doctors seek to put us on pills as opposed to informing us about natural occurrences of our bodies?

but on another note, can we not see this knowledge with the potential to be a form a birth control? with a few clinical trials researching what types of exercise effect the cycle and in what ways, it can potentially replace the pill, no? for example, if we found that working out 4 times a week for an hour using a medium level intensity could offset one's ovulation by 40-50% and combine this knowledge with herbs and foods that induce menstruation (such as Black Cohosh), we can have a strong birth control method. it probably won't be 98% effective (which is the supposed effectiveness of the pill), but again, that level of control comes with drawbacks. herbalists, mid-wives, and healers from indigenous societies have this knowledge. it simply has to be tapped into and given its due respect. understanding and working with the body is where we need to be headed in reference to health (amongst other things). and with that, i think there will be less occurrences of all the issues we see relating to menstruation and birth control.

beyond these proposed birth control methods, however (which goes into a post a did a while back), this society needs to be more welcoming and supportive of women and couples that have children they may not be ready for in one way or another (be that emotional, financial, etc.). after all, the reason that most women are on the birth control pill is not because they do not wish to have children, but because of external constraints they have to adhere to (finishing up a degree within a certain time, obtaining a certain job, or just generally having a trainwreck of a life).

comment. think. criticize. peep the pt. 2

Homophobia and Condoms!

so, i was watchin this video earlier today. i watch one of their videos whenever i find one i haven't seen. i really like their different perspectives, and the majority of the time, i agree with them. however, that is not the case for one portion of their message in this video.

if you go to about 7 minutes and 50 seconds in, they will be talking about the different forms of genocide that are encompassed in the word. and around this time, they say that birth control as well as homosexuality are forms of genocide. the brother on the left even goes as far to say that it is the "vilest" form of genocide against blacks.

now, i definitely have problems with both of those assumptions.
for one, the claim that birth control is a form of genocide is just asinine. my friend Yvette brought to light the fact that they may be coming from a historical perspective of the idea of birth control, which is very much so racist and was a blatant attempt to kill or lessen the number of blacks, Chicanos and Native Americans. heres a pretty good article that goes in detail about Margaret Sanger's crude means of experimentation as well as her Eugenics agenda. Margaret Sanger is hailed as one of the biggest advocates for birth control, and many even pay respects to her today. birth control (abortion as well as contraceptives) were started by a racist for a racist and genocidal agenda. period. so, on that level, i would agree with them. however, i would completely disagree with them if they are asserting that any female who takes contraceptives or has abortions in this day and age is adding to the genocide of our people. when they want to take on the behemoth challenge of caring for or adopting the THOUSANDS of children that are born each year to parents (or just mothers...)that don't want them, who then have to battle the foster system full of pedophiles and physical abusers only to be thrown out with no help at the mere age of 18, then maybe i would back up their point. but thats never going to happen.
and second, AIDS/HIV is one of the biggest if not THE biggest killer of black people. blacks here in the United States, in the West Indies, in South America, and in Africa. it is an epidemic. and one of the biggest defenses against this is a condom (as well as birth control which stops women from giving birth to children with the disease). Christian missionaries have already done of a good job of convincing our people that condoms are "playing god" or some similarly absurd bullshit (....but if i wanted to play their god, i'd start by going on a killing spree...), as well as telling them that a child is a gift from their god, even if you can't afford to feed or clothe them, and no matter what type of shitty situation you're going to bring this child into. so the last thing any person of color needs to be telling other people of color is to stop using contraceptives. the parallels between what the Sons of Malcolm asserted in this video and right-wing overzealous and often racist Christians have to say about birth control and homosexuality are astounding. this is reason to be alarmed.
women are not just on this earth to pop out babies and raise them. this is the idea that has aided in our subordination. and considering women will be left raising a child 9 times out of 10, we have to use means of eliminating the case for a pregnancy or an unwanted child. how interesting that these two men, who will never have to face an unwanted pregnancy, never have to bring a child into this world, who probably don't even know change a fuckin diaper, think they can tell a woman that a contraceptive is wrong. the audacity...
the problem with most people on this planet, not just people of color, if that there are too many people bringing children into this world that they don't want; that they cannot support-financially and/or emotionally. not only do situations like these add to the stress of the parents in the situation, but it also is simply infair to a child.

and to the second point-the assertion that homosexuality is a "the vilest" form of genocide. this is equally as asinine as the first statement. in the awesome book i just finished reading-Gender Talk, these two women do a fantastic job of showing the problems with homophobia, as well as the myths involved in it, and the inherent problems with their assertions. the chapter starts on page 154 entitled Black, Lesbian, and Gay: Speaking the Unspeakable. not only do they show the many similarities between homophobia, racism and patriarchy, but they also show that many homophobics that fight for the end of racism usually believe that homosexuality is a perversion brought on by Europeans that was never present in Africa prior to colonization. Johnnetta and Beverly do an excellent job of showing the flaws in this stance:

in order to contextualize the debate about "homosexuality" in Africa, it is important to take into consideration the complexity of same-sex practices in cultural contexts around the world and to recall the reality of "homoerotic" practices among most human cultures, according to scholars. in other words, what cultures consider to be normal and natural in the sexual arena varies considerably around the globe. ... there are societies in which same-sex erotic behavior is frequent, though they lack a concept of the "homosexual" person or homosexual identity. in other words, a connection is not made between who one is and what one does. being involved in an intimate or erotic relationship with a person of the same gender does not necessarily result in the society attaching a "homosexual" label. it is mainly in the west and only since about 1700, that we have divided human being into two oppositional categories: heterosexual and homosexual. ... 'our sexual culture is not universal to the human species'.... despite widespread notions about the decadence of the west...some scholars argue that 'western societies have been fare more repressive toward homosexuality than the indigenous cultures of Asia, Africa, and the Americas.'

they then go into citing book by Africans that explain some of the sexual relations in African societies involving same-sex unions as well as some women in some societies taking on the role of a man and taking up multiple wives.
Samori says that it is a form of genocide because it hinders procreation. so does menopause, so does abstinence, so does any form or sex that doesn't result in a child. just because an act is hindering procreation does not by default make it genocidal. aside from the typical definition of "genocide", i think there are connotations as well that present genocide as an active form of killing individuals of a group in order to exterminate that group. one woman having an abortion, or two men never biologically producing a child is not genocide because it is not an attempt to exterminate a group of people. making an absurd claim like that almost trivializes the reality of genocides like ones in Rwanda, Sudan, and the Jewish Holocaust. and in addition, homophobia within the colored communities not only separates us as brothers and sisters but also has many devastating consequences. in places like Jamaica, where homosexuals have to fear for their lives, granted they're open about their sexuality, it also adds to the spread of the diseases i was talking about earlier. health clinics that have been set up specifically for the assistance and testing for AIDS/HIV have been violently targeted (because people have come to label AIDS/HIV as a "homosexual disease")by homophobics, it only adds to the spread of this deadly disease.

when people who want to end all forms of oppression cannot see oppression in other arenas other than racism, like patriarchy and homophobia, then how can they expect to properly battle any form of oppression. oppression is oppression, and you cannot battle one and truly expect to change it while leaving the others as they are.
i still like these guys, because i agree with most of the other things they bring to light, however, there is a problem when you cannot see oppression in it rawest form.

think. criticize. comment. look at their other videos.