In A Birth Story, written by Dr. Dana-Ain Davis, we learn about Leconté J Dill and her birth story. When she was admitted early for complications, she experienced obstetric racism at a time when a woman deserves nothing but support and be cared for. She experienced neglect, dismissiveness, and disrespect from the anesthesiologist, who paid no mind to the pain they were causing Leconté, making it seem intentional. She also was not offered a wheelchair and had to walk to the postpartum unit just hours after having her baby. She not only had to walk but had to push her newborn and her IV, which seemed like a way to humiliate her. “Obstetric racism sits at the intersection of obstetric violence and medical racism.

In 12 Reasons It Should Be Illegal For Doctors Not To Treat Trans People written by Diana Tourjée goes over a new (outrageous) rule that was proposed to deny Trans people medical attention. Jessica Charlton writes, “I am a 29-year-old non-binary person who is an extremely hard worker as a manager at an animal shelter. I support a family and uplift my community. I deserve access to healthcare without fear of discrimination”. Jessica deserves medical attention just like anyone else, regardless of how they identify. Simon Chartrand writes, “I am a transgender person with a disability, and the proposed rule will compromise my unalienable rights. … I need constant access to healthcare, and I have experienced discrimination many times in the past”. Why should any rules deny someone with a disability the medical help they need? The discrimination against transgender persons is cruel. The fact this could legally allow someone to deny life-saving services because of the patient’s gender or the way they identify is inhumane.

In Period: End Of Sentence, the documentary focuses on the stigma of menstruation in rural India. So many women featured in this film are very embarrassed and shy when talking about their periods, not just on camera but in general. It is not uncommon for these women to give up their education because of the challenges their menstruation brought them and not having access to pads. Arunachalam Muruganantham, the man who invented the low-cost sanitary napkin machine, said, “menstruation is the biggest taboo in my country.” He has created something for women to continue their everyday lives comfortably, something that shouldn’t be considered a luxury. Another quote that stood out to me was said by one of the women, “The thing is when there is patriarchy, it takes time to talk about something related to women.”