What surprised me were several things in both readings and the film. I always knew that other countries weren’t as educated about menstrual cycles as the U.S is, but I didn’t know men viewed it as a disease or illness. At first, I had negative feelings towards the men, until I realized their education system is not the best. Therefore, this has caused them to make women believe they are dirty for having something natural that they cant control. It’s shameful that they have to make pads with the machines themselves. Pads should be easily accessible to everyone. If it wasn’t for the women’s knowledge, they would be struggling once a month because India, along with other countries, still don’t care about us. Menstrual’s should be mainstream and taught to prevent a bad stigma around it. Im grateful for the privilege I have that allows me to be able to go to the store and grab a box of pads off the shelf. Countries need to start making women’s health a priority. In “A Birth Story” I wasn’t so much shocked, but rather disappointed. Why is race even involved in the process of birth? Shame on the nurses in her situation. Her feeling disregarded after having her baby shows how little they cared. When the nurse said she should just have a C section because she was inconveniencing him, it felt like he viewed her body like an object. She waited 9 months just to be told by an annoyed nurse what she should do. Obstetric racism needs to be addressed because this adds on to the mothers stress and puts their health at risk. 12 reasons it should be illegal for doctors not to treat trans people was something I connected to. Ian Andersons mentality was similar to mine. Not that I thought trans people were bullshit, but I disregarded their issues because I wasn’t educated enough to speak on them. Now, I understand the importance of ensuring their rights are secured, especially because the government is making healthcare harder for them. I didn’t know people in the medical field put their job aside and let their personal feelings get in the way of helping someone.

The format of both readings and video impacted my understanding of medical oppression in many ways. 12 reasons allowed me to read different experiences from people who dealt with medical oppression first hand. The video allowed me to see how women in India are defying the odds with their creativity and passion to help each other. A Birth Story also helped me read an experience from a black women, warning me of what can happen as a minority when I decide to become a mother one day.