Remember when I did that post several months back asking my female friends to please be up-to-date on their pap smears, for their own health? I got that reply -- from women aged 22 through 32 -- and I know at least one of them, shortly afterwards, did finally go get a pap smear for the first time (even if it was prompted by unrelated health issues, but the timing was odd). The rest of them? No idea; apparently this was an event marked in their heads as "something I'll do before I get married."
The fact that their mothers would let them go without a pap smear all this time remains something that will forever make me doubt their mothers truly have their daughter's health in mind, at least in a reasonable manner. I mean, really! Having a gynecologist doesn't mean you're having sex. It just means you're willing to make sure you're a healthy human being, and that everything is in working order. Wouldn't you want this for your daughter? Why would anyone assume that one's body is going to stay, untouched and therefore perfectly healthy, and only kick into gear upon getting married? What, does the body see the wedding and go, okay, NOW we can start contemplating cervical cancer!
And I really don't frickin' care if anyone on my flist is offended that I'm saying their mothers have failed them in this point. Their mothers have failed them. They let their daughters be raised ignorant of the importance of a full medical checkup, and in ignorance of their own bodies and the importance of keeping it healthy, and that it doesn't matter if one has no sexual contact or experience whatsoever. They let their daughters be raised believing that proper care of the body isn't important, and they let their daughters be raised believing that one's sexuality (and the repercussions of having sexual parts) only kicks in and becomes an issue upon marriage.
So, yes, those mothers failed their daughters, in that area.
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Date: 3 Dec 2005 11:56 pm (UTC)The fact that their mothers would let them go without a pap smear all this time remains something that will forever make me doubt their mothers truly have their daughter's health in mind, at least in a reasonable manner. I mean, really! Having a gynecologist doesn't mean you're having sex. It just means you're willing to make sure you're a healthy human being, and that everything is in working order. Wouldn't you want this for your daughter? Why would anyone assume that one's body is going to stay, untouched and therefore perfectly healthy, and only kick into gear upon getting married? What, does the body see the wedding and go, okay, NOW we can start contemplating cervical cancer!
And I really don't frickin' care if anyone on my flist is offended that I'm saying their mothers have failed them in this point. Their mothers have failed them. They let their daughters be raised ignorant of the importance of a full medical checkup, and in ignorance of their own bodies and the importance of keeping it healthy, and that it doesn't matter if one has no sexual contact or experience whatsoever. They let their daughters be raised believing that proper care of the body isn't important, and they let their daughters be raised believing that one's sexuality (and the repercussions of having sexual parts) only kicks in and becomes an issue upon marriage.
So, yes, those mothers failed their daughters, in that area.