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March is known as Endometriosis Awareness Month, and it’s high time we talk about the disorder and how it affects a person in different ways.
I was 8 years old when I decided to adopt a girl child. When Sushmita Sen adopted her first child, my parents explained why it was a big deal. She is Miss Universe and has chosen to be a single mother without getting married. It is a huge challenge for society to accept it.
I was inspired and wanted to follow the same path. So, irrespective of my financial position, adoption continued to be a dream.
As I grew older, I realized that I might be hesitant when it comes to doing the deed. Eventually, I might even want my ‘own’ baby because I have been intrigued by the process of giving birth (believe it or not!).
So, I decided to make a choice when the time comes.
I did not know then that the freedom to choose could be snatched away from me. I was diagnosed with endometriosis when I was 27. The initial conversation included the removal of ovaries, which was later discarded by the gynaecologist.
I was put on treatment that stopped my menstruation in order to avoid the pain I suffered from during periods and also to help the cysts melt. But what they couldn’t help me manage was the sudden ‘lack-mindset’ that took over me.
Painful penetrative sex is a symptom of endometriosis. The pain feels like a sharp knife tugging one’s insides. When I asked the doctor if I could be sexually active, she gave me a straight no, stating that penetration will cause my insides to contract that will further deteriorate the condition.
She also mentioned that the pain caused during intercourse varies from person to person. While it remained unspoken, I assumed that if one is trying to have a baby naturally, only then sex is advised with precautions.
I wondered, how am I supposed to explain this to men I meet on dating apps?
I don’t really want to share it with a stranger. Is this the end of my sex life? Am I no longer allowed to make the choice about dating and marriage?
Am I unmarriageable? Is it wise to discuss children on first dates? I didn’t want to feel like a fraud who hid her health status and, most likely, inability to be pregnant. I felt undesirable, socially, without anyone rejecting me.
When I began discussing this with friends, they often said, “Sex is not everything. There are many men who understand this. These days, many people don’t even want to have kids. You’ll find your person.”
But the thing that they didn’t understand is that I wanted a healthy sex life, I wanted the choice to have kids and how. My dreams were getting shattered. It just felt like from being a cis woman with ‘high’ standards, I am being asked to settle for crumbs because that’s where I have landed medically.
However, things changed over the course of a year. I realized I am making assumptions without playing the field. I am a feminist and yet, I tumbled down into the landfill of patriarchy.
Furthermore, I was ashamed. But I was also tired of crying all this time. Nothing good came out of being fixated on past wishes and future visions. I have to live in the present.
Life is full of possibilities, and no hiccups should stop us from exploring them. So, I am just going with the flow, accepting that we have very little control over what happens to us, but we can choose to respond to it in our way, no matter how long it takes. And it’s okay if we fall back because acceptance is a continuous process.
Image source: Desginer 491, THAPLMER, via Getty Images, free on CanvaPro
Freelance writer, researcher, and book reviewer. Words at Women's Web, Purple Pencil Project, Bookish Santa, Cesurae. Translation enthusiast. read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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