"no strings attached"

[tywy_99]

~To make a long story short.......I took my wife to this young female gynecologist to have a contraceptive ring removed. The doctor performed a complete examination but said she wanted to schedule an appointment to have an ultra-sound done so she can see the ring. Okay, we did that, or I should say, my wife did that. Next, another appointment at the doctors office. That was yesterday. My wife had with her two extra rings which I asked her for. The young lady doctor came in and gave us the good news that the papsmear came back normal but from the ultra-sound it appears that the strings on the ring were entangled. I said, "but lady, there are no strings. It is just a simple stainless steel ring" at which time I handed her one of the rings. She looked at the ring bewildered and dumbfounded. I said, "you've never seen one like this, have you?" She said, "No." The lady doctor then wanted to set up yet another appointment in the hospitals OR where she can sedate my wife and by camera can remove the ring! I said that I thought she could do this procedure today. She responded by pulling out this stainless steel tool that reminded me of something I carry in my tackle box and said she could try it here in the office but it might cause my wife some discomfort.

Well, my wifes english is limited but I could tell by the worrisome look on her face that she was understanding this conversation all to well! By that time I was completely disgusted with this incompetent doctor and told my wife let's get out of here!, nobody here is going to touch you! I could see that my wife was relieved by this, to say the least. As we were walking out, the "so-called" doctor said there will be no charge for todays visit in which I expected as much! I told her that she should be paying us for enlightening her upon her trade!

As we were leaving, my wife said she couldn't understand this doctor. Why such a hard thing to do? She said in China, women have this procedure done all the time and the doctors can do it in 5 minutes.

Well, so much for me trying to convince my wife on our superb western ways when it comes to doctors and medicine.

[yanhua]

The reason why the american gynocologist was confused about the contraceptive ring, was because this is a very rarely practiced contraceptive way here in the U.S. Less than 10% of women in the U.S. use this method..no wonder it is so confusing to her! It is much easier for a chinese gynocologist to understand this cause many married women in China are suggested to use this method as birth control, after their 1st baby is born since they are not allowed to have the second anyway. It is very affordable and efficient. A ring would be good for 4 or 5 years and you donot need to use any other contraceptive methods. However there is some problem with this ring, because this" outsider" is likely to prolong your menstruation period and may cause light infection. I do not know exactly how it performs as contraceptive, but i do not think this is a good method. My mom suggested me having that done before i left for the U.S, since i might go back to school and cannot afford time for a baby. After i read about the low percentage of contraceptive ring utilization in the U.S., i deceided not to use it. I could already forsee the confusion and trouble to have it removed by an american doctor..looks like i did the right thing.

 

Another thing about pep smear, I found it a good thing that many american women have this test annually. I had my 1st pep smear test in the U.S. My mom asked me why i went for a check up for nothing. I explained to her this is a preventive test, and commonly practised here. Well...i believe it is important to be preventive about your health. Pep smear test is especially more important for women aged over 35, cause the older you get, the more possibilities you get. Ofcourse age does not always go with health. A pep swear test is very simple and almost no pain at all. In most cases it won't cause bleeding unless you are very sensitive.

[Mick]

The reason why  the american gynocologist was confused about the contraceptive ring, was because this is a very rarely practiced contraceptive way here in the U.S.  Less than 10% of women in the U.S. use this method..no wonder it is so confusing to her!   It is much easier for a chinese gynocologist to understand this cause many married women in China are suggested to use this method as birth control, after their 1st baby is born since they are not allowed to have the second anyway. It is very affordable and efficient. A ring would be good for 4 or 5 years and you donot need to use any other contraceptive methods. However there is some problem with this ring, because this" outsider" is likely to prolong your menstruation period and may cause light infection.  I do not know exactly how it performs as contraceptive, but i do not think this is a good method. My mom suggested me having that done before i left for the U.S, since i might go back to school and cannot afford time for a baby. After i read about the low percentage of contraceptive ring utilization in the U.S., i deceided not to use it. I could already forsee the confusion and trouble to have it removed by an american doctor..looks like i did the right thing.

 

Another thing about pep smear, I found it a good thing that many american women have this test annually. I had my 1st pep smear test in the U.S. My mom asked me why i went for a check up for nothing.  I explained to her this is a preventive test, and commonly practised here. Well...i believe it is important to be preventive about your health. Pep smear test  is especially more important for women aged over 35, cause the older you get, the more possibilities you get. Ofcourse age does not always go with health. A pep swear test is very simple and almost no pain at all. In most cases it won't cause bleeding unless you are very sensitive.

Glad you posted this Yanhua. Li had one of those rings while we lived in China and it caused major problems for her. Heavy bleeding, painful periods that were nearly incapacitating. Also developed an infection. We went to have it removed but the doc didn't want to without permission from the work unit. We finally got it removed through "guanxi" we had with another doctor. As you may know, Li is five months pregnant now. She has had very positive experiences with her ob/gyn here in the States. He is male but very gentle and reassuring. Interestingly, he always insists that I be present when he examines her. He explains everything in detail to both of us.

[MoonCarolCafe]

We went to have it removed but the doc didn't want to without permission from the work unit.

 

WTF?!? Does her body belong to her, or does it belong to her work unit?

[Bobby]

She has had very positive experiences with her ob/gyn here in the States. He is male but very gentle and reassuring. Interestingly, he always insists that I be present when he examines her. He explains everything in detail to both of us.

Its strange.. I've been asking some of the women in my life about arranging a visit to the ob/gyn for my fiancee and I keep getting very mixed singles. Some act as if my presence is the most disgusting thing in the world, whereas others insist that I be there with her to help her through it. I don't mind either way, one of the big differences between she and I is that I've had sex-ed hammered into me from 4th grade through college and for her its completely taboo and never spoken of. I was completely amazed to find out that in a family of all women (5 sisters, mom and a bunch of aunts) no one explained anything. Until I had a talk with her, she didn't know what her period was or why she hurt so bad every month. I'm hoping getting her to see the ob/gyn won't be that difficult. If all else fails, I have a phalynx of female friends willing to carry her in, if necessary

[Guest blsqueaky]

Well Bobby, believe it or not now, my last visit to GZ, in the paper, there was an article that they are now teaching sex-ed in the classes, and if I remember, they are starting at about the 10-12 year old bracket. They stated in the article that they are now doing this because the children are hitting puberty at a much earlier age. They talked to some of the children where these classes where started, and they were all fine with it. I can just imagine what some of the parents thought.

[Charlotte]

The reason why  the american gynocologist was confused about the contraceptive ring, was because this is a very rarely practiced contraceptive way here in the U.S.

Ditto here! If you live in a small town, the ring stuff is like something from outer space -- they may have heard of it, but no practice in this area. I would not let American docs practice on me in this area. Yes, if you want it removed, better get it done in China or find a Chinese Gynacologist who practiced in China before. American docs could turn this small procedure into a big operation. By the time they are done with you, the medical bill alone would afford you a round trip to China and get it removed. Even if you have insurance coverage, there is still no guarrentee for the safety in their procedures if they did not have much practice in that area. I have high opionion in western medicine -- they cure people who are uncurable, but many times due to the mal-practice law suits (thanks to the lawyers), the doctors here tend to overkill for some non-emergency cases. 30 - 50% of post-child bearing age women have their uterus removed. Researchers find out the majority of those surgeries were unnecessary. So before any of you decide to go into anything major in here, a 2nd opionion is always a good idea; even a trip to China would be worth the trouble in some cases. I would trust American doctors surgical skills, but diagonosis is a different story ---- remember "Practice makes perfect." Docs in China have over a billion people to practice on!!!

[se_lang]

I would trust American doctors surgical skills, but diagonosis is a different story ---- remember "Practice makes perfect."  Docs in China have over a billion people to practice on!!!

I had a Chinese co worker say the same thing she said the chinese Dr can dianose better and faster then the americans and it goes with out saying like Char said "Practice makes perfect."

[Mick]

We went to have it removed but the doc didn't want to without permission from the work unit.

 

WTF?!? Does her body belong to her, or does it belong to her work unit?

I asked the same question. In China, due to the one child policy, once a birth control device is installed, permission is needed to have it removed. At least that is how it was in the two provinces where we lived, Anhui and Guangdong.

[Cat&Rat]

We went to have it removed but the doc didn't want to without permission from the work unit.

 

WTF?!? Does her body belong to her, or does it belong to her work unit?

I asked the same question. In China, due to the one child policy, once a birth control device is installed, permission is needed to have it removed. At least that is how it was in the two provinces where we lived, Anhui and Guangdong.

Yes this is one of the first things Cat & I want to have done. Cat has to under go periodical medical checks to make sure it is still in place. Even when it is causing medical problems.

 

I am incredulous that she is forced to endure this, she seems to take it in stride.

rat

[tywy_99]

By the time they are done with you, the medical bill alone would afford you a round trip to China and get it removed.

 

How true. The radiology bill for the ultrasound was $480 alone! No telling how much the OR procedure would have cost.

I just felt that this young woman gynecologist wasn't on top of her field. With all the years of study and med school, I would at least think she should've known something about this ring and how to remove it efficiently.

I read where China has gone great lengths in the development of IUD's for their family planning program but how different can it be from any of the other kinds of IUD's used in the world, other than it didn't have a string? I am sure that doctor thought about this thing all day.

[Cat&Rat]

WTF?!?  Does her body belong to her, or does it belong to her work unit?

Unfortunatly in China , the work unit seems to have more say about it than she does

rat

[Bryan_Qunying]

You need to remember that the things, we in America, take for granted, such as having children, etc., is and has been a very big issue and part of the Chinese way of life for a very long time. It's true that the "One Birth" law only started in 1972. But for decades, these people have only known this way of life. Only recently have they started to really learn about what some freedoms are all about.

 

I think that is why, we must learn to accept the way our loved ones were raised and slowly introduce some of these "Newly Found Freedoms", what must, at times, seem to be alien to them.

 

Rat, I agree with you about whether a woman or the work place owns her body. Fortunately, my wife was self employed.

 

I think I can now step down off the soap box!

 

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/3/3_2_119.gif

[yanhua]

I hardly ever heard of anything like " compulsory birth control" practiced by " work unit". Maybe it was the situation 10 years ago when privacy and freedom was not well understood. Fortunately I have seen lots of improvement in those aspects recent years, it takes time to build up a better understanding and practice.

 

I believe every country has its own way of running the system. We have different systems and cultures. We Chinese people believed in obidience, loyality, tolerance, there was hardly any concept for" individulism" or "ego" or " freedom" in our ancester's wordbook. However i find it exciting and great to marry someone that has a totally different look and culture, the exciting part is the mixture of the good points in our 2 cultures, which has already brought benefit to our life.

[Cat&Rat]

I hardly ever heard of anything like " compulsory birth control" practiced by " work unit". Maybe it was the situation 10 years ago when privacy and freedom was not well understood.

 

the exciting part is the  mixture of the good points in our 2 cultures, which has already brought benefit to our life.

I think alot has to do with employer. Cat has a government job, and work unfortunately has a great deal of control.

 

 

Yes Cat and I have talked long and deeply about both cultures, and the differences, and have agreed to take the best of both cultures and use them in our life together.... rather think that this might give a new meaning to the old curse....... "may you live in interesting times" because I do believe that our future will at the very least be interesting

 

I can't wait.... lot's and lot's and lot's sunshine

rat