Hi guys, I’m a Joint Honors student in the UK and I’m writing my dissertation on the inequality/lack of importance given to and regarding female sexual healthcare in the US from the 20th Century into the 21st. This includes everything from pregnancy complications, birth control, endometriosis, PCOS, undetected STIs and STDs due to doctors being dismissive towards their female patients regarding their sexual health, abortion and much more.

I feel very passionately about this subject because I have had my fair share of dismissive/negligent doctors regarding my healthcare here. I’m 22 now and some of the decisions of the doctors have irreversibly changed and affected my body.

My dissertation focuses on the US because I’m a Joint Honors student - History And English Lit and I’ve mainly studied American History/Eng Lit modules. Therefore, I wanted to make the US the main country for my research.

Also, I understand that there are many sexist laws like asking for written consent from a male partner etc/having a set amount of children/being a certain age etc in some states before a woman can get her tubes tied, whereas these laws don’t apply to men. As well as, the additional laws like trying to ban abortion etc in states like Georgia and Alabama after Trump’s election and a more conservative government in place.

Last summer, I wrote a post about a birth control pill being supplied in the UK, especially to young girls, despite documented cases of aneurysms, pulmonary embolisms, ruptured cysts causing infertility and in some cases even death. And it was the same story. Doctors/healthcare staff were dismissive of the women and their concerns because the side effects were ‘normal’ yet when they found out the real causes, it was too late. One of the mothers of a girl on this pill messaged me. She told me her daughter died on this pill and the doctors didn’t do anything despite her protests. The parents went onto national television, got web articles written and nothing came of it. It makes me so angry that there have been several documented cases and nothing has been done. It is infuriating.

I would be eternally grateful if you could help me be a voice for others as I know that these things aren’t even talked about or make international news, let alone written or researched on.

Do you think you could provide me with some articles or any specific websites or people who I could use as authentic sources? I know women get neglected more than they should be regarding their sexual health but people don’t talk about it, especially in the news, to protect different healthcare institutions and professionals. If I could find some other authentic pieces of evidence like small articles in different local news papers or on local websites, it would help me address the issue at hand with more academic merit. I think it is incredibly sad but brave for women, to share their stories.

If you can’t help me, that’s perfectly understandable too. I’d be grateful that you took out the time to at least read this post.

Looking forward to hearing from you guys.