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“If we are going to change women's medicine for the better then we have to start acknowledging its mistakes, the stories of those it has failed, and the voices of patients telling us how we can do better."
Dr. Jolene Brighten, Women's Hormones NMD
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Spring greetings, luminous ones
Last week was Infertility Awareness Week. While you may never want to reproduce or have been there, done that, the drastically declining rates of fertility among both men and women are something we should all be concerned about as a human species. In fact, don't just take my word for it - listen to Dr. Shanna Swan, one of the world's leading environmental and reproductive epidemiologists, lay it to you straight on The Joe Rogan Experience while endearingly speaking about taint size. Yes, you read that right. So give it a listen and prepare to be appalled, all the while laughing at this cute lady talk about taints and jizz. It's pretty phenomenal, and I promise, highly educational.
As an advocate for holistically minded women’s health care, I shared a video on Instagram last week where I spoke about an experience I recently had with my OB/GYN, in honor of Infertility Awareness Week. I was originally writing about my experience with my intention to share as a post, but decided I wanted to read it out instead. My greatest hope for sharing this experience with you is to raise awareness around the need to advocate for your own health in this world.
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I was anticipating some amount of backlash for putting out this video because I was questioning the safety of the Covid vaccines, but NEVER thought I would receive resistance for talking about women's health.
In the year 2021, other women are trolling on my posts because I'm using the term women's health when speaking about women's health issues. They claim that it is not "inclusive" to people with wombs who don't identify as women.
Let's clear this up right now. I choose to use language that resonates with me and my audience. Trans health is not my focus, but that does not mean I'm exclusionary to that group in any way. There are lots of other people out there doing work for trans health and the like, which is awesome and important. It's just not my thing, so don't tell me how I should speak.
Policing language is incredibly authoritarian behavior and I am so not about that bullshit.
Since I speak about my concern of the Covid vaccines related to fertility and child development in the video above, let's also clear that up. I have not been very vocal about my choice to not get vaccinated, in part because I'm fearful of the misplaced backlash I will receive, but after reading this deranged article by the Washington Post, I can no longer stay quiet.
My decision is deeply considered and one I am not taking lightly by any means. So before you judge me harshly for choosing to not receive vaccination, why don't we have a conversation about it?
I am more than happy to explain to anyone who is curious (read: open-minded, dogma not welcomed) why I am personally choosing not to get these specific vaccines at this point in my life. Reply to this email and we can chat! After all, I may have just shattered a deeply held belief that only "Alt-Right assholes" are the "vaccine holdouts" - what can I say, I love smashing stereotypes
All jokes aside, I believe medical and health related choices are a personal decision that each individual needs to make for themselves with as much information and consideration as possible. I support everyone who chooses to receive a Covid vaccine, and also everyone who chooses not to, because it's your choice! Control over your own biology is a fundamental human right: my body, my choice.
The sentiment still rings true.
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May you stay strong in the face of adversity, and fly smoothly along the ever-changing current of life.
Luminous love,
Jessica
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