Look away now, for the love of God
By Jess McCabe | 18 February 2008, 15:59
Sigmund Freud thought that fear of castration in early childhood was key to the sexual development of men. Because of the male-based way he viewed the world, he assumed the female equivalent was an impossible desire to have a phallus - penis envy, in common terms. But, of course, women have sexual-pleasure giving apparatus all of their own to be terrified of having chopped off, and this is one of those stories that will induce that “squeee!” reaction, so if you’re sensitive about these things read no further. As far as I can tell, it doesn’t appear that this doctor has been thrown in jail for the rest of his natural life.
A woman goes into her local hospital for routine minor surgery to remove a tiny lesion on her labia. But just before the anaesthetic is administered, her doctor leans over her - out of earshot of the operating theatre staff.
“I’m going to take your clitoris too,” he whispers.
When she wakes
Pain… agonising pain. To her horror, all her external genitalia - labia and clitoris - have been cut out of her body.
For two years Bega Valley woman Carolyn was too traumatised to complain or do anything about the doctor who mutilated her - Graeme Reeves. What she did not know was that she was not the only victim.
Lauredhel of Hoyden About Town turns this story into a very lucid post about medical rape culture and the way that the medical profession protects its own.
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Ellen said:
That is horrendous and makes me scared. Very scared.
I would be just as horrified and fearful of losing my external genitalia as any guy could be of losing his penis.
Don't get me started on Freud!
Posted on 18 February 2008 at 6:10 PM
L said:
Oh my god. That is disgusting. The world is a horrible place. This makes me consider crossing my legs and staying in my house forever.
Posted on 18 February 2008 at 9:01 PM
kat said:
i am going to have nightmares about this. seriously, i could not live without my clit.
Posted on 18 February 2008 at 10:13 PM
ceejay1968 said:
That's horrific. I almost sent it to everyone in my family/friends email loop and then I remembered my sister is having surgery this week for incontinence repair and to check a suspect spot on the labia. Hmmm. Maybe I'll just keep this to myself for now.
Posted on 19 February 2008 at 5:37 AM
Daniel Bonaparte said:
I will call it gross, monstrous, and any other word,but not typical. Do we really read the link. Hate towards the medical profession within the feminist movement is what is pervasive. And that is a one reason a lot of female medical students do not call themselves feminists. They are not just Fembots
Posted on 05 April 2008 at 7:45 PM