When things go wrong, blame the women

Younger women, typically teens, who go to receive the IUD often get informed of the “dangers” and risks that multiple sexual partners bring to them as an IUD user (Takeshita, 93).  When women put full faith and trust in their doctor, they are letting their bodies become a scapegoat. Because doctors, unfortunately, do not always have the answers to everything. But they present this information as fact and truth to patients who do not think to question them.

The IUDs historically poor reputation, because of products such as the Dalkon Shield, has left doctors and patients concerned about the IUD. This fear that started when the product was first introduced has manifested into a false understanding about the current IUDs on the market. These misconceptions about the safety if the current IUD has led some physicians to not wanting to give women who have never had children the IUD. The fear of what had happened before is leading to doctors making ill-informed decisions about the IUD. The natural instinct for these doctors is to put the blame or the problems on women's bodies not being fit instead of really looking at the product.

Kylenna TM

When the IUD was being introduced back onto the market there was a push and focus women who had children already. This was because the “research” seemed to suggest that the IUD was “safer” for these women and that women who had never given birth before where “riskier” users (Takeshita, 95). Women who had never had given birth before, or younger/teen women, were being excluded from potentially using the IUD because some research suggested that their bodies “reject” the IUD and cause complications. The reality of the situation is that the research on teens and the IUD is lacking a full understanding of how the product works with young women.

Doctors are giving out misleading information about the IUD, instead of taking the time to fully study or come to understand how the IUD works within the teen and younger women population. By relying on the history of the IUD and a small set of information about the IUD, doctors are putting blame on women's bodies not working with the product, instead of why the product does not work for these women. Young women are “high risks” for the IUD because of the potential sexual behaviors (Takeshita, 93). By calling a group of women a “risk” for the product, the responsibility and blame is put on the women if something goes wrong. This is how doctors are making up for a lack of knowledge and understanding about the IUD. Make it the users job to take care of herself if something goes wrong. The IUD is not to blame for any complications, the women are.

CDC

The way doctors are handling and treating women in regards to the IUD is not an isolated situation. Historically, doctors have opted out of taking the time to understand women's bodies. It can be seen with medicine and pregnant women a lot (Dusenbery). Many medications have not been tested amongst pregnant women so often doctors do not know the potential side effects of a medication for someone who is pregnant. This leaves women with two choices, take the medication without knowing how it will affect them, or don’t take the medicine and potentially suffer from not using it. Women are put in dangerous and damaging situations when there is not enough evidence about medical products and their bodies. Young women who chose to use the IUD could have extreme and harmful reactions, or they could not and it would be fine. There is simply not enough understanding for young women to make the most informed decision possible about the IUD.

Doctors are attempting to cover up the fact that the science and knowledge of the IUD is just not all there by using women as the scapegoat. They tell young women that they are the ones who are “risky”, not that the product is problematic to women's bodies. Whether or not the IUD is actually dangerous to women is not the point. The important thing is that some doctors have chosen to think it is because they accept this excuse of women's bodies not being fit or appropriate for the IUD. Doctors making these uninformed comments and suggestions to young women about the IUD is leading them away from something that could be a positive birth control method for them.

Sources

Blakemore, by Erin. “Why Do Some Doctors Refuse to Give Women IUDs?” The Washington Post, WP Company, 15 Oct. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/why-do-some-doctors-refuse-to-give-women-iuds/2017/10/12/ee1e881e-a3c9-11e7-b14f-f41773cd5a14_story.html?utm_term=.a00fbdf075bb.

DUSENBERY, MAYA. DOING HARM: the Truth about How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed,... Misdiagnosed, and Sick. HARPERONE, 2018.

Stacey, Dawn, et al. “Should Teens Use IUDs and Nexplanon?” Verywell Health, Verywellhealth, 28 Aug. 2018, www.verywellhealth.com/iud-birth-control-for-teenagers-906757.

Takeshita, Chikako. The Global Biopolitics of the IUD;. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012. Print.DUSENBERY, MAYA. DOING HARM: the Truth about How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed,... Misdiagnosed, and Sick. HARPERONE, 2018.