Introduction
The article “The Speculum of Ignorance: The Women’s Health Movement and Epistemologies of Ignorance” by Nancy Tuana is focused on such aspects as ignorance and why it occurs in society. The author suggests that such issues need to be studied, and they should become a vital part of every theory. She explores the way the health movement in the ’70s has highlighted primary causes of ignorance, and it is suggested that resistance may help to identify gaps in knowledge. One of its objectives was to provide females with materials that would explain the functions of their bodies, and it was also focused on the expansion of available knowledge.
The book titled “Our Bodies, Ourselves” is worth mentioning because it is a result of the movement. It is quite influential and has been republished and expanded over the years. Moreover, such information needs to be studied to ensure that women are much more comfortable with their bodies, and can safely explore their sexuality (Boston Women’s Health Book Collective and Norsigian 1). The fact that the style of the book is quite comprehensive also needs to be mentioned.
Therefore, it has helped many women to understand themselves better without being afraid of any sexism because the book was written by females. Nancy Tuana believes that the movement was focused on uncovering the information that was hidden, and it was extremely concerned about ignorance (Tuana 2). Overall, it is possible to state that such knowledge is quite valuable because many women all over the world still do not have access to necessary knowledge about their bodies and it leads to enormous discomfort. Furthermore, it is imperative to study why such problems were introduced and how they may be resolved.
Body Autonomy
The author of the article argues that the requirement to take the vaccine that would help to prevent HPV infections intervenes with the body autonomy of young women (Mara 125). It is understandable that this claim may have some merit, but the overall goal of such procedures is to guarantee the safety and well-being of the population.
Moreover, it has also been approved for boys from 9 to 15 (Printz 1156). Therefore, it is possible to argue with such ideas because pieces of evidence suggest that such an approach is beneficial. Body autonomy is vital for every female because it allows one to feel safe and confident in her actions. Moreover, it helps to make choices without being worried about the reaction of the public and society. I think that my current level of autonomy as a woman is quite sufficient, but I hope that it will be increased in the future because it is evident that several limitations are present, and it is quite problematic.
The Medical Establishment
It is necessary to mention that intersex surgeries are extremely unreasonable most of the time because of outdated ideas (Koyama 4). However, they should be performed if a severe risk is present and it may be prevented, and one chooses to do it. Obesity also needs to be mentioned. It is understandable that people should have full control of their bodies. However, a possible objection that one may have is that health-related risks of obesity have been scientifically proven. Therefore, it is not reasonable to argue with professionals, but they should have developed another approach to resolve this problem because stigmatization is not acceptable.
The introduction of contraceptives only for females is also worthy of a discussion, and it is likely that some of them are promoted to increase the pleasure for men. Results of one of the studies indicate that partners intervene in the selection in 56% of the cases (Kavanaugh, Lindberg, and Frost 83). However, some of them are vital because of their effectiveness. It is possible to state that such medical practices are focused on the improvement of the health and well-being of the populations, but medical establishments frequently do not consider the psychological harm that may be caused. Moreover, society is still not aware of all the issues that women have to deal with, and it is important to find the right balance.
Works Cited
Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, and Judy Norsigian. Our Bodies, Ourselves. 9th ed. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 2011. Print.
Kavanaugh, Megan L., Laura D. Lindberg, and Jennifer Frost. “Factors Influencing Partners’ Involvement in Women’s Contraceptive Services.” Contraception 85.1 (2012): 83-90. Print.
Koyama, Emi. “Intersex Surgery.” Hastings Center Report 34.2 (2004): 4. Print.
Mara, Mariam. “Spreading the (Dis)ease: Gardasil and the Gendering of HPV.” Feminist Formations 22.2 (2010): 124-143. Print.
Printz, Carrie. “FDA Approves Gardasil 9 for More Types of HPV.” Cancer 121.8 (2015): 1156-1157. Print.
Tuana, Nancy. “The Speculum of Ignorance: The Women’s Health Movement and Epistemologies of Ignorance.” Hypatia 21.3 (2006): 1-19. Print.