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University of Victoria

The Incurability of Being a Woman:

A study on the lack of bio-medical attention to

diseases and disorders that solely affect people with

vaginas, uteruses and fallopian tubes

Linaya Bertschi

V00871000

GNDR-204

Dr. Thea Cacchioni

November 21st 2017

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It has been long and well documented that health care does not cater equally to all

social positions. White, cis-gendered (hereafter cis) men are overwhelmingly

represented in medical discourse as the default body of study and experience. When

considering symptoms and effective treatments of any and all types of diseases,

disorders, or medical events, such as ADHD or a heart attack, the known symptoms are

those that are presented in white, cis, men and boys. When there are diseases that are

not applicable to this demographic, instead of being studied with a more diverse lens

that would include people of colour and bodies of different sexes, they are barely

studied at all.

When there are finally enough studies to warrant a classification and a term is

created, women and folk with vaginas, uteruses and ovaries enter the purgatorial, or

even hellish, waiting period of “symptom management”. In this period there are no

known, or accessible, cures for the disorder being experienced. Below are three of the

main ‘women’s’ health concerns that seem to remain shrouded in mystery and

misinformation despite the advancements in biomedical technologies; endometriosis,

polycystic ovarian syndrome, and bacterial vaginosis. The bio-medical academia

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surrounding these three disorders is fraught with terms such as “relatively unexplored”

(Zullo et al. 2017) and “have yet to be characterized” (Turovskiy, 2011) neither of which

are very promising for people who suffer from these disorders. All three of these

medical disorders are a source of frustration, shame, and, tension for the people who

experience them and non-medical feminist discourses are not aware of, or do not

publicize, how living with these disorders can have a significant toll on a persons

quality of life (Kitzinger, 2002). Without a push for awareness and change, the bio-

medical institutions seems content to leave these disorders in the nebulous ‘incurable’

realm of managed symptoms.

As Sevely and Bennet (1978) showcase in their discussion of the disappearance

and hesitant reappearance of the G-Spot in medical and colloquial discourses,

patriarchal societies have a tendency to obviate the knowledge of female bodies when

ignorance will serve the hegemonic state better than the knowledge. An example of this

obviation is in the existence of endometriosis. Endometriosis is a medical condition

caused when the uterine lining grows in other places of the reproductive system such as

on the fallopian tubes, or along the pelvis (Chan, 2015). There are references to
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symptoms similar to those of endometriosis as far back as Egyptian texts in 1855 B.C.

and are explicitly written into the Hippocratic Corpus (Nezhat, 2012). Yet modern bio-

medical professionals credit the “discovery” to Karl von Rokitansky in 1860, nearly 4000

years later. Yet with this rediscovery there was no reignited search for a cure. In fact, in

the last 160 years since this discovery there has been infinitesimal change in how

endometriosis is treated (Nezhat, 2012). According to the Mayo Clinic, the top three

treatments are over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain medications,

hormone therapy such as hormonal contraceptives, and surgery to remove as much

endometriosis tissue as possible. None of these three methods are permanent. The final

option for people with endometriosis is a hysterectomy, a full removal of the uterus,

cervix, and ovaries, and even if the patient is able to find a doctor willing to perform a

hysterectomy — a topic for another essay entirely — this method is not wholly effective

as the endometriosis tissue can still form and cause pain.

The second disorder is polycystic ovarian syndrome (hereafter PCOS) which is a

disorder that includes cysts on the ovaries and hormone imbalances. There are many

other aspects and symptoms involved in PCOS, however, as stated by Dewailly

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(Dewailly, 2016) the newer diagnostic criteria for PCOS which includes hormonal levels,

is not yet a globally accepted standard and so I will not go into detail about how

different types of PCOS present. Again we see a historical knowledge of PCOS

symptoms in the Hippocratic Corpus (Azziz, 2010) then a resurgent discovery in the

early middle of the 1900’s, and yet again we see modern bio-medical systems failing to

find a permanent method of treatment. The use of hormonal birth control is also one of

the recommended treatments for symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome and there

are wildly conflicting results on whether or not hysterectomies or oophorectomies

(removal of the ovaries) can be considered a viable treatment option. Treatment, as it is

with endometriosis, is symptom-based. Aimed at alleviating the manifestations of the

disorders without focus on creating bio-medical treatments or immunizations of the

disorder as a whole.

PCOS has a massive effect on women and how they view themselves. With many

of the sufferers feeling incredibly isolated and “freakish” (Kitzinger, 2002). With no

actual medical intervention other than symptoms management these people are left

alone to deal with the often shameful and painful symptoms by themselves. Recent
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years have seen an increase in PCOS awareness and a slow start at building support

communities between people but the bio-medical system still seems content to ponder

at potential links to genotypes and race than to researching the actual cause and

potential permanent cure (Azziz, 2011).

The third disorder, chronic bacterial vaginosis (hereafter BV) is different from the

first two in that it is less medicalized than endometriosis or PCOS. BV occurs when

there is an overgrowth of a naturally occurring bacteria in the vagina. It leads to

changes in discharge and scent, as well as itching or burning sensations in the vagina.

Although BV can be caused by sexual intercourse it is not considered a sexually

transmitted infection although there is still contention of this point in medical discourse

(Ostergaard, 2009) and this has led to a high level of stigma around discussing BV,

despite how common it is among people with vaginas in their reproductive years. BV

has been referred to as “…one of the most prevalent enigmas in the field of

medicine.” (Schwebke, 1997) as the suspected causes remain in flux and the prescribed

treatments remain few. The use of the anti-bacterial metronidazole was approved by the

FDA in 1997 but it is a harsh drug with many negative drug interactions and side
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effects. Although it is currently the only suggested treatment for BV there is a low

frequency of success using one round and people often suffer from chronic symptoms.

The majority of academic and medical work on both BV and metronidazole focuses

heavily on the potential it has to negatively affect the foetus or nursing babies and not

on discovering new medications to replace metronidazole.

When a woman, who’s socially constructed identity is intrinsically linked with her

femininity and fertility, experiences an increase in masculine read traits such as facial

hair or a stoutness of frame (PCOS), irregular or nonexistent menstruation (PCOS or

endometriosis), pain or discomfort associated with menstruation, (endometriosis),

shameful or uncomfortable discharge and odours (BV), and difficulty with conceiving

and carrying a child to term (all three), it is likely that she will feel ashamed or broken

(Kitzinger, 2002) and the feelings of isolation will negatively effect her relationship with

her body and health. There was not enough academia on how these disorders affect

trans and non-binary folk and their relationships with their sex and gender for an in-

depth analysis. I will refrain from conjecture other than to say that it seems reasonable

that as trans and non-binary folk often experience difficulties in accessing healthcare for
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regular medical checkups, it would be no surprise if they experienced genuine difficulty

in dealing with any of these disorders.

These under-studied, under-medicalized disorders have a very real effect on the

lives of the people who have to live with only managing their symptoms. It is far past

time for the bio-medical institution to equalize the way that these sex-specific disorders

are researched and place easing the suffering of the people who experience these

disorders above irrelevant studies of potentially susceptible genotypes.

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Works Cited

Azziz, R., Dumesic, D. A., & Goodarzi, M. O. (2011). Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: An
Ancient Disorder? Fertility And Sterility, 95(5), 1544–1548.
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.09.032

Chan, A. (2015, March 04). Endometriosis: Causes, Symptoms & Treatments. Retrieved
From www.livescience.com/34722-endometriosis-c-s-t.html

Dewailly, D. (2016). Diagnostic Criteria For Pcos: Is There A Need For A Rethink? Best
Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 37, 5-11.
Doi: 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2016.03.009

Kitzinger, C., & Willmott, J. (2002). ‘The Thief Of Womanhood’: Women's Experience Of
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Social Science & Medicine, 54(3), 349-361.
Doi: https://Doi.Org/10.1016/S0277-9536(01)00034-X

Nezhat, C., Nezhat, F., & Nezhat, C. (2012). Endometriosis: Ancient Disease, Ancient
Treatments. Fertility And Sterility, 98(6). http://doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.
2012.08.001

Ostergaard, L. (2009). Faculty Of 1000 Evaluation For Sexual Risk Factors And Bacterial
Vaginosis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis. F1000 - Post-Publication
Peer Review Of The Biomedical Literature. Doi:10.3410/F.1136904.602317

Schwebke, J.R. (1997) Bacterial Vaginosis–More Questions Than Answers. Genitourin

Med, 73, Pp. 333-334

Sevely, J., & Bennett, J. (1978). Concerning Female Ejaculation And The Female
Prostate. The Journal Of Sex Research, 14(1), 1-20. Retrieved From
http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/stable/3812152

Turovskiy, Y., Noll, K. S., & Chikindas, M. L. (2011). The Etiology Of Bacterial
Vaginosis. Journal Of Applied Microbiology, 110(5), 1105–1128.
http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2011.04977.x

Zullo, F., Spagnolo, E., Saccone, G., Acunzo, M., Xodo, S., Ceccaroni, M., & Berghella, V.
(2017). Endometriosis And Obstetrics Complications: A Systematic Review And
Meta-Analysis. Fertility And Sterility, 108(4). Doi:10.1016/J.Fertnstert.2017.07.019