WS100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Middle Ages, Medicalization
Document Summary
4th century bce men"s sweat is beautiful. The problem with the woman"s body is the uterus travels around the body. The only way to root the uterus in it"s proper place is through semen. Women were told that their health is based on having contact. Women in 19th century were told to have sex if they have a cold. Women were always told to be ashamed of their body, particularly when they"re menstruating. Women who were menstruating were not allowed into sacred spaces until very recently. If you had just had a baby, you needed to stay in the house because you would be polluting the public space. In the middle ages, women were told they smelt terrible, they were also told that menstruating gave them great power (i. e. , render bled flat, turn wine into vinegar, turn sharp knife into dull knife) We are told menstruating is a terrible time of the month.
