a not-so-happy fact.

i have a new book on my hands (surprise!). thanks to a particularly hilarious/all-knowing pair of friends, i was presented with "vaginas: an owners manual" by dr. carol livoti and elizabeth topp. the two authors are a mother-daughter duo and they tackle vaginal needs and issues as minor as lubricants and as major as infertility, viruses/diseases/infections and cancer. in addition to a seemingly well-balanced serving of the things those vaginally-inclined need to know, livoti and topp include pagely snippets of facts (think: the happy and not-so-happy facts from eve ensler's "the vagina monologues") about our peaches, plums and pears. these facts (which i assume to be valid) have kept me shocked, awed and appalled for the past twenty-four hours. i had NIGHTMARES about my vagina last night. i felt like throwing a party in my pants after reading certain insertions. and then there was this:



"The speculum was invented by J. Marion Sims, who also founded the New York Infirmary and is called the "Father of American Gynecology." He wasn't a very nice man, and most historians will back us up on that. He pioneered gynecological surgery by practicing on slaves, without consent and certainly without the benefit of anesthesia...Women have inquired about surgery to move the clitoris closer to the vagina. This is probably a bad idea, in that moving it would cut off its nerve supply. Another flimsy theory on improving women's sexual responsiveness is to "unhood" the clitoris (removing the fold that covers it). This is fraught with risk. The clitoris is so sensitive that it's a short hop from pleasure to pain. These women may have trouble sitting down or wearing tight pants, and forget about horseback riding. This is not an operation that has ever been popular. Conversely, a hundred years ago, removing the clitoris was not uncommon in New York City for women who were "too demanding". Thanks again, J. Marion Sims...His statue is in Central Park, so feel free to go and throw rocks at it" (pp. 34-59).





allllllright. so. the duck lips were invented by some old coot sans vagina. now i know. i also know now that the "father of american gynecology", in order to "father" (and let us not even touch patriarchy right now) the field, made practice out of the already-oppressed only to oppress them further. gynecology, now, (i hope!) is a field necessary and present to help those with vaginas or those wishing to have one. it seems creepy, twisted and squirmy for such a vital part of sexual health to have been born of torture, punishment and "discipline".



i'm sure notes were taken. i'm sure surgeries were modified and altered to produce healthier results for the patients treated...and the fact that sims' speculum hasn't changed much in one hundred years is a screaming indication that gynecology's existence may not be so were it not for j. marion sims...even still, i feel pretty gross right now knowing that my vaginal health stands on a history of pain, injury and injustice. had i known of the copper reproduction of sims in central park i might have prepared for the bike-tour with a pair of steel-toed boots.