H2. Leaky Body Politics: Public Health and Pelvic Health Chair: Rachel Moran, University of North Texas - Georgia Haire, Vancouver Island University: White, clear, grayish, yellow, curdy: Vaginal infection, discharge and women’s everyday health in Canada and the United States, 1960s-1990s
- Antje Van Kerckhove, University of Leuven: Consciousness, Conditioning and Control: Treating Vaginismus Through Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy in Belgium (1970-2000)
- Madeleine Ware, Yale University: Fit, but not too Fit: Moderating Health and Citizenship through Interwar Pelvic Floor Dance Therapeutics
Research in the field of “women’s health” has predominantly focused on reproductive topics such as pregnancy and contraception. Through a series of case studies organized in two panels, we investigate how the often-overlooked dimensions of pelvic health and wellness are influenced by medical and cultural factors, including: feminist activism and solidarity building, the politics of health autonomy and citizen science, and national and transnational information exchange on pelvic disorders. Together, these contributions illuminate the interplay between individual experiences of pain and discomfort, and collective models of care that prioritize self-assessment and access to health information. By addressing the tensions between clinical care and patient experiences, these two panels enhance our understanding of feminist health activism and the complexities of gender identity and sexual health.
The first panel examines how diverse conceptions of “leaky bodies” have influenced experiences related to bacterial infections of the urinary tract and vagina. By exploring historical narratives surrounding bodily discharge, the papers analyze how societal attitudes towards these conditions have evolved, and how, how, despite the proliferation of medical information regarding leakage, infections, and pelvic floor therapy, women’s experiences of discharge remain entangled with stigma and shame. The second panel emphasizes how women have actively shaped clinical and cultural understanding of their pelvic health conditions. This includes an exploration of the racial origins of the “dancer’s body” in pelvic floor therapy, the development of cervical screening programs, and the role of citizen activists in demanding information about endometriosis treatments. Through feminist information advocacy, these efforts provided crucial health information—and corrected misinformation—to thereby reframe societal expectations about health and fitness.
