User:Sydney Stephens/sandbox

History of VVF

Prior to the 19th century, women who suffered from VVF were judged harshly and rejected by society. Throughout the 19th century, treatment for VVF was limited because the practice of gynecology was seen as immoral or lustful. Doctors were almost entirely male at this time and looking at a nude female, even for medical purposes, was seen as going against 19th-century values.

Black, female slaves in the American South were particularly prone to VVF because they were denied proper nutrients and medical care. The lack of consideration for a female slave's comfort meant that female slaves were consistently operated on in the early and dangerous days of VVF surgeries.

One of the most infamous gynecological surgeons of this time was Dr. J Marion Sims. Sims developed a successful technique for treating VVF in the mid-1800s, and thus he is hailed as a pioneer of gynecology. However, Sims was able to develop this technique by performing numerous failed operations on female slaves that he bought and kept on his property. Sims performed on these women without anesthesia, and it's disputed as to whether or not anesthesia or ether was accepted during Sims time. However, Sims did not have a White female patient until he made ether available to them. Sims has said that African-American women have a naturally higher pain tolerance, and that's why it was acceptable to operate on them without anesthetic.

Hey Sydney, I think your contributions to this page are great so far. I think that it is important that you added the (involuntary) role that black women played in the hisotry of VVF. I think that these types of contributions are essential as Wikipedia serves as an informational hub for many. Great work! (Also, im not sure if I'm leaving this comment in the correct section, sorry) Adcurrie (talk) 21:32, 19 April 2018 (UTC)