Campus
      Women
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Ella
      Holt
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Susan
      Cole,
      feminist
      writer,
      freelance
      journalist,
     
     
      appeared
      on
      campus
      Oct.
      11,
      1990
      sponsored
      by
     
     
      UPEI
      Student
      Union
      and
      P.E.I.
      ad
      hoc
      committee
     
     
      on
      NRT
      and
      presented
      a
      lecture
      "Exploring
      the
     
     
      complexities
      of
      new
      reproductive
      technologies."
     
    
   
   
    
     
      She
      presented
      a
      well
      organized-lecture
      designed
      to
     
     
      inform
      women
      and
      demystify
      an
      issue
      which
      directly
     
     
      affects
      women.
      A
      Royal
      Commission
      has
      been
      set
     
     
      up
      by
      the
      Canadian
      Government
      to
      "inquire
      into
     
     
      and
      report
      on
      current
      and
      potential
      medical
      and
     
     
      scientific
      developments
      related
      to
      new
      reproductive
     
     
      technologies
      considering
      in
      particular
      their
      social,
     
     
      ethical,
      health,
      research,
      legal,
      and
      economic
     
     
      implications
      and
      the
      public
      interest,
      recommending
     
     
      what
      policies
      and
      safe
      guards
      should
      be
      applied.”
     
     
      Ms.
      Coles
      expressed
      a
      very
      specific
      perspective
      that
     
     
      many
      new
      reproductive
      technologies
      are
      in
      fact
      a
     
     
      form
      of
      violence
      against
      women.
      She
      stated
      "It’s
     
    

    
     
      hard
      to
      agree
      with
      NRT
      that
      apparently
      allow
     
     
      women
      to
      blissfully
      experience
      child
      birth.
      But
      one
     
     
      must
      ask:
      What
      are
      the
      experiences
      of
      the
      women
     
     
      involved
      and
      do
      NRT’s
      even
      work?
      Statistics
      from
     
     
      the
      World
      Health
      Organization
      indicate
      that
      in
      one
     
     
      specific
      area
      invitro
      fertiliztion
      (The
      fertilization
      of
     
     
      a
      human
      egg
      outside
      of
      the
      womb.
      The
      eggs
      are
     
     
      removed
      from
      a
      woman’s
      ovaries
      fertilized
      with
     
     
      sperm
      in
      a
      laboratory
      and
      then
      placed
      in
      a
      woman’s
     
     
      uterus.
      The
      fertilized
      eggs
      may
      either
      be
      placed
      in
     
     
      the
      uterus
      of
      a
      woman
      who
      produced
      the
      eggs
      or
      in
     
     
      the
      uterus
      of
      another
      woman).
      The
      success
      rate
      is
     
     
      8.8%,
      although
      Dr.
      Bev.
      Brodie
      challenged
      this
     
     
      Statistic
      indicating
      a
      more
      correct
      statistic
      of
     
     
      pregnancy
      was
      probably
      15
      -
      20%.
      However,
      her
     
     
      definition
      of
      pregnancy
      was
      a
      heart
      beat
      on
      an
      —
     
    

    
     
      ultrasound.
      I
      think
      it’s
      fair
      to
      say
      most
      women
      are
     
     
      interested
      in
      the
      live
      birth.
      The
      heartbeat
      is
      nice
     
     
      but
      it
      doesn’t
      console
      you
      when
      you
      leave
      the
     
     
      hospital
      without
      a
      baby.
      Ms.
      Coles
      admitted
      being
     
     
      rather
      cynical
      about
      the
      topic
      and
      suggested
      that
     
     
      perhaps
      médical
      researchers
      were
      endeavoring
      to
     
     
      control
      the
      birth
      experience
      that
      has
      historically
     
    
   
   
    
     
      belonged
      to
      women.
      The
      entire
      industry
      of
      NRT
      is
     
     
      being
      turned
      into
      Harnessed
      Technology
      "The
      Boys
     
     
      with
      their
      toys"
      making
      something
      new
      and
      exciting,
     
     
      pretending
      to
      be
      God.
      Another
      disturbing
      part
      of
     
     
      the
      presentation
      was
      these
      technologies
      are
     
     
      expensive
      and
      not
      covered
      by
      health
      insurance.
     
     
      While
      one
      invitro
      fertilization
      only
      costs
      between
     
     
      three
      and
      six.thousand
      dollars,
      The
      World
      Health
     
     
      Organization
      indicates
      the
      cost
      for
      each
      live
      birth
      is
     
     
      approximately
      $35,000
      taking
      into
      consideration
      all
     
     
      the
      women
      who
      do
      not
      achieve
      a_
      successful
     
     
      pregnancy.
      Not
      many
      women
      have
      the
      money
      to
     
     
      access
      this
      technology.
      The
      idea
      that
      it’s
      available
     
     
      and
      accessible
      is
      an
      illusion.
      Ms.
      Coles
      stated
      she
     
     
      was
      not
      in
      favor
      of
      abolishing
      NRT
      but
      that
      Women
     
     
      have
      the
      right
      to
      be
      informed,
      have
      equal
      access
      and
     
     
      realistic
      counselling
      concerning
      NRT’s.
      Women
     
     
      should
      not
      be
      used
      as
      guinea
      pigs
      in
      a
      society
      that
     
     
      link
      women’s
      identity
      to
      having
      children
      at
      any
      cost.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Brown
      Bag
      lunch
      for
      discussions
      on
      Gender
     
     
      issues
      met
      Friday,
      October
      12,
      1990.
      The
      topic
      of
     
     
      discussion
      was
      violence
      against
      women
      and
      the
      first
     
     
      20
      minute
      segment
      of
      the
      Janet
      MacLeod
      story
      was
     
     
      heard.
      Following
      the
      presentation
      it
      was
      almost
     
     
      difficult
      for
      the
      discussion
      to
      begin.
      The
      trauma
     
     
      this
      woman
      endured
      affected
      all
      the
      members
      of
      the
     
     
      group.
      It’s
      very
      unsettling
      to
      have
      a
      social
      problem
     
     
      like
      violence
      taken
      out
      of
      the
      books
      and
      thrust
     
     
      directly
      in
      your
      face.
      However,
      violence
      affects
      large
     
     
      numbers
      of
      people
      in
      our
      society
      and
      the
      majoritly
     
     
      of
      the
      victims
      are
      women.
      At
      least
      the
      members
      of
     
     
      the
      group
      are
      not
      sweeping
      it
      under
      the
      rug.
      They
     
     
      are
      examining
      the
      topic
      even
      if
      it
      would
      be
      easier
     
     
      to
      pretend
      it
      did
      not
      exist.
      The
      next
      meeting
      for
     
     
      the
      group
      will
      take
      place
      in
      the
      Sociology
      lounge
     
     
      October
      26,
      1990,
      12:30
      -
      1:30.
      All
      interested
     
     
      persons
      are
      invited
      to
      attend.
      Topic
      Part
      II
      of
      the
     
     
      Janet
      MacLeod
      story...
      Violence
      against
      Women.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      UPEI
      X-Press
     
    
   
   
    
     
      October
      18,
      1990
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Page
      12