Myriam-Fernanda
Favorite Author: Virginia Woolf
Hidden Talent: I can crash course almost any skill and semi perfect it! I’ve done this with coding, physics, spreadsheets and reading legal docs.
Posts By: Myriam-Fernanda AD
“Why” is a weak question
Larger systemic anxieties are at the heart of mine and others fear for having kids. ‘Why are people having fewer babies?’ A question posed more and more in recent years, as though the world population isn’t in the billions. In a UNC study from the 90s, a number of European countries were observed as they offered direct and indirect financial incentives to having more children. This included paid maternity leave, transportation services and government aid. Last year, around 50% of European residents cited financial burdens as to why they don’t have kids. So, financial support programs have continued. Now in the United States, there is significantly less financial support, healthcare access, family programs and paid maternity leave. So, is money really all it takes? No. The global population decline includes… Read more »
To birth or not to birth? We will never have a say.
How the intersection of forced sterilization and forced birth leaves Latinas at a standstill. In an attempt to cope with a paradox of forced birth and forced sterilization, there seems to be an impenetrable standstill. Not only are political factors like immigration and access to abortion uniquely affecting Latin migrant populations, but also dangerous cultural and religious rhetoric. Headlines broke back in 2020 of a whistleblower bringing light to the forced sterilization and malpractice in a private ICE detention center in Georgia. The allegations included everything from negligence to various instances of uninformed consent to medical practices, including hysterectomies. “I don’t think they [immigrant women] really, totally, all the way understand this is what’s going to happen depending on who explains it to them,” said nurse Dawn Wooten. Around the… Read more »
The trials and tribulation of tubal ligation
Reproductive health costs $15 billion more for those with a vagina in the U.S. The number of health visits in the span of one year, amounted to more than one thousand dollars of medical bills under my belt. These included doctor visits, nutritional care, STI and vaginal check ups, a mammogram and of course, therapy. Women, trans folks or nonbinary people like myself who have a vagina, pay almost $15 billion more in healthcare costs each year than cis men. Most of the additional cost comes from reproductive health. This is a topic of interest to everyone in the U.S. and especially those wanting to control the scope of reproductive health to align with their values. And when the fate of Roe v Wade being overturned confirmed that I did… Read more »
My at-home pads are not revolutionary
A lookback at period products and how we got here. The torn-up cotton shirt my mother so graciously volunteered began to take the shape of a standard period pad with wings that cost almost $15 at the store. Her face flashed in confusion, not fully understanding why I was so keen on tearing up and sewing old towels to make at-home pads; but there we both were. Sure, the level of shock that there were toxic chemicals in the largest brands of tampons and pads (including the “organic” options) was underwhelming. Though some studies conclude the products are generally safe. The news, nonetheless, struck rage. The incident raised questions about how much the menstrual market values health or safety of its customers. The commercialization of menstrual products paralleled the timeline of… Read more »
