Follow Up: Fausto-Sterling

I was shocked by the idea that women’s bodies are abnormal.  It doesn’t make sense to me to decide to use the male biology as “normal” and compare other bodies to it.  This notion clearly results in an abnormal and even deviant view of the female body.  Thus the fact that women have menstrual cycles and go through menopause is linked with the idea that women are less able and inferior to men.  Thus this idea is very detrimental to women in today’s society.  It portrays women in a stereotypical manner.

            Furthermore, when people believe ideas about the abnormality of the female’s body it can be dangerous to female health.  For instance, especially in the past, doctors may dismiss one’s ailment under the impression that the female simply has abnormal hormones levels or neural differences.  Furthermore, the lack of information on menopause and PMS makes diagnosis faulty.  Doctors may diagnose many symptoms as related to PMS or menopause, while in fact there is a different underlying problem.  Without full knowledge of the female body it is difficult to understand what symptoms are related to which ailments.  Something such as suicidal depression could be mistaken as PMS; mistakes such as these can be fatal.  I agree with Fausto-Sterling in that it is necessary to consider both the male and female bodies as normal yet having differences as well as similarities.  With this perspective diagnosis will likely be more accurate as the symptoms of PMS and menopause will be better understood.  With a fuller understanding, society is more likely to accept the female body as normal; I believe that when we comprehend something we are often more likely to accept it.