Our hysterectomies / Marianne R. Petit.

"Background/Story: On March 14th, 2017, I underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy. The procedure was performed through open surgery and left behind a 6" vertical scar. Upon waking up from surgery I felt surprisingly great. I hopped off the gurney and walked to my bed, ate two dinners, and walked laps around the ward. While I am typically rather private, I decided to be open about this. I had access to good health insurance, excellent medical care, and the support of three work communities--privileges many women don't have. I felt no reason to remain silent other than a sense of shame brought on by a cultural stigma that I wouldn't have had my appendix been removed instead. And so, in an uncharacteristically public political act, I posted an image of myself from the hospital on social media. The outpouring of support was overwhelming but even more surprising, 17 women I knew reached out to tell me that they had been through the same thing, some only weeks earlier. I was stunned and began to reflect on the stories that induce our silence and the fictions we present instead. Facts: According to the Centers for Disease Control, Hysterectomy is the second most frequently performed surgical procedure for U.S. women who are of reproductive age. Approximately 20 million American women have had a hysterectomy and approximately 600,000 hysterectomies are performed each year. By the age of 60, more than 1/3 of all women have had a hysterectomy. Goal: All women need access to high quality affordable reproductive health care services. As a result, I am using this book as a tool to increase awareness and support access to services."-- From artist's website.