Jessica Pin: My labia minora removed without my consent - the pathologization of female sexuality

One of the good things about interviewing people about their medical error experiences is the feel good stories about making the health system safer, and making meaning out of trauma, a phenomenon known as post traumatic growth. In this interview with Jessica Pin, she shares the insights she’s learned about the gross deficiencies in the medical system where it intentionally maintains blind spots about female anatomy and female sexuality. A medical system where surgeons are performing procedures on female genitalia with shocking little understanding of the female body. Jessica, the daughter of a surgeon, recounts her own experience receiving a surgical procedure that she did not consent, and to which the doctor had no understanding or training. This unwarranted surgery would impact Jessica’s intimate relationships, her relationship with her parents, and her relationship with herself. In her efforts to make meaning out of her medical injury, Jessica sought the support of psychiatrists and therapists -- but she again experienced dismissal, minimization and invalidation. Essentially further harming Jessica as invalidated trauma deepens trauma. Eventually, through her own efforts and self education about recovering from trauma, Jessica focused her efforts on changing the system to prevent more women from being physically harmed, sexually diminished, and psychologically traumatized. Connect with Jessica Pin Twitter @MediClit https://www.instagram.com/p/CD7VMj2pZ_q/?igshid=163uygx8r1ibq Be a podcast patron Support Medical Error Interviews on Patreon by becoming a Patron for $2 / month for audio versions. Premium Patrons get access to video versions of podcasts for $5 / month. Be my Guest I am always looking for guests to share their medical error experiences so we help bring awareness and make patients safer. If you are a survivor, a victim’s surviving family member, a health care worker, advocate, researcher or policy maker and you would like to share your experiences, please send me an email with a brief description: [email protected] Need a Counsellor? Like me, many of my clients at Remedies Counseling have experienced the often devastating effects of medical error. If you need a counsellor for your experience with medical error, or living with a chronic illness(es), I offer online video counseling appointments. **For my health and life balance, I limit my number of counseling clients.** Email me to learn more or book an appointment: [email protected] Scott Simpson: Counsellor + Patient Advocate + (former) Triathlete I am a counsellor, patient advocate, and - before I became sick and disabled - a passionate triathlete. Work hard. Train hard. Rest hard. I have been living with HIV since 1998. I was the first person living with HIV to compete at the triathlon world championships. Thanks to research and access to medications, HIV is not a problem in my life. I have been living with ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) since 2012, and thanks in part to medical error, it is a big problem in my life. Counseling / Research I first became aware of the ubiquitousness of medical error during a decade of community based research working with the HIV Prevention Lab at Ryerson University, where I co-authored two research papers on a counseling intervention for people living with HIV, here and here. Patient participants would often report varying degrees of medical neglect, error and harms as part of their counseling sessions. Patient Advocacy I am co-founder of the ME patient advocacy non-profit Millions Missing Canada, and on the Executive Committee of the Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Research Network. I am also a patient advisor for Health Quality Ontario’s Patient and Family Advisory Council, and member of Patients for Patient Safety Canada. Medical Error Interviews podcast and vidcast emerged to give voice to victims, witnesses and participants in this hidden epidemic so we can create change toward a safer health care system. My golden retriever Gladys is a constant source of love and joy. I hope to be well enough again one day to race triathlons again. Or even shovel the snow off the sidewalk.