Tales of Medical Gaslighting: Chronic Pain, Sexism, and More

“Caren Beilin’s new book, Blackfishing the IUD (Wolfman Books, 2019), is a memoir about reproductive health and the IUD, gendered medical gaslighting, and activism in the chronic illness community. Beilin considers the copper IUD’s role in triggering her sudden onset rheumatoid arthritis. She shares her own research and patient testimonies that suggest the copper IUD is triggering various illnesses in women.”

“In this interview, originally conducted for the Blackfishing the IUD podcast (produced by Wolfman Books and executive producer, Claire Mullen), Beilin speaks with Amy Berkowitz, whose memoir Tender Points was recently rereleased by Nightboat Books. Tender Points details Berkowitz’s experiences with fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by chronic pain and fatigue that hasn’t always been recognized by the conventional medical community. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.”

“I think I set out like, I’m so mad I want to write a book that warns everybody about the IUD and that it might trigger autoimmunity or, if not that, cause depression, anxiety, joint pain, and other health problems!”

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