You may call me INCUBATRON

I heard about this on CBC on my way to work this morning.

There are some parts of this that I'd like to look at.

Firstly, the opening sentence:
"Health providers should routinely ask women of child-bearing age about their alcohol consumption as a first step in trying to prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in children"

Women of child-bearing age. No qualifier... just all women of child-bearing age.

Then:
"...[Guidelines were released to help healthcare practitioners] broach the subject of drinking with women who are already pregnant or those who could become pregnant."

...Again, no qualifier. Not only 'those who are trying to become pregnant,' just those who could become pregnant. Those who have the ability to. Young, fertile women within a certain age bracket.

And finally this:
"The problem here is that very many physicians do not even ask the question," he said. "It's not an easy thing to ask. Here you have a patient, who comes to you for something else, to ask about drinking."

Not an easy thing to ask. Yep. I'd imagine it wouldn't be. Know why? Because it's none of your damn business. That's why.

The problem isn't that they're not asking - the problem is that it's considered a problem that they're not asking. If I go to the doctor for something entirely unrelated to my reproductive health, that doctor absolutely has no right or reason to ask me about my drinking habits based on his assumption that I might become pregnant.

I like to think that I function as more than just a baby receptacle, or the potential to become one. I like to think that my body has value as something other that an incubator from the time that I hit menarche to the time I reach menopause. I like to think that if I choose not to have children that I'm not an anomaly. If you have a female patient who comes to you, as the article says, "for something else," then how about respecting her privacy, her personal choices regarding family planning, and her ability to function as a responsible person. If these women had reproduction-related questions, then I'd bet they would come to you asking those questions so why not just treat them for what it is they came to you for and leave the onus of discussing pregnancy-related issues with the woman - you know - the one whose body is actually involved. I know this may come as a shock to some, but not every aspect of a young woman's life circulates around the possibility that someday they may become pregnant - I know mine doesn't. It's insulting to insert unsolicited information regarding pregnancy during doctor's appointments to women who neither asked for it, nor required it. In fact, to do so is disrespectful and assumes quite a narrow range of function for female bodies.

Furthermore, as if we didn't already know that drinking during pregnancy was bad. How about trusting that women aren't stupid and can figure out - after the widely circulated ad campaigns - that there are certain things we shouldn't consume while pregnant. If we ask for information, hand it over. When we don't, mind your own business.

Some food for thought:

"What we do know is that women who abuse alcohol tend to associate with men who also drink excessively. We know that a woman is much more successful in her ability to stop drinking and to stay sober if her male partner... also stop[s] drinking. So, the role of men in the prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders is significant—all prevention efforts should address both men and women, parents, friends, family members and the community- at-large. While a male’s drinking cannot cause FASD, it can certainly attribute to children being born with FASD, and their support for their partner to stop drinking can decrease the likelihood of women continuing to drink during pregnancy. "

Found here.