Body autonomy is a basic concept, but not one that is spoken about all that often. It means that a person has the right to what they want with their body and when.
And while we live in a world where people are constantly telling women what they can or can’t do with their own bodies (I’m looking at you, men), it’s nice to have a reminder once in a while about what body autonomy means to females.
A woman on Twitter recently had a thread go viral and she discussed the importance of women having autonomy over their own bodies. This is how the thread started.

Photo Credit: Twitter
She continued talking about how her mother had a difficult pregnancy.

Photo Credit: Twitter
Her mother asked her doctor about the possibility of sterilization.

Photo Credit: Twitter
As was typical of the times, she was chastised by her male, Catholic doctor.

Photo Credit: Twitter
Her mother was shamed and made to feel guilty about simply exploring the medical options about her own body.
But later on, a new doctor made her feel more comfortable about her situation.

Photo Credit: Twitter
And after all that time and trauma… her bodily autonomy was finally respected.

Photo Credit: Twitter
She remembers her mother’s experiences and how they compare to today’s politically charged environment.

Photo Credit: Twitter
Once her mother had the courage to speak up, her own family members supported her.

Photo Credit: Twitter
And so, things got better.
But there’s no reality that they should have gotten that bad in the first place.

Photo Credit: Twitter
And she ended on this note.

Photo Credit: Twitter
Amen.
Naturally, the internet had a lot of opinions.
I wish I could say this is unbelievable, but we all know it's not. I'm sorry your mother had to endure this.
— M Spinka (@equallyfab) September 6, 2018
And, unfortunately, it’s not just male doctors who would not respect somebody’s autonomy.
https://twitter.com/HedonisticWell/status/1037904059729108993
And seriously… how can doctors get away with this kind of treatment?
Yep the doctors told me absolutely no to getting my tubes tied after my son because I will regret it… but when I asked if regretting a child is better than regretting not having a child, they couldn't answer
Now with 2nd child and im getting them removed afterwards
— President Gluehead (@_Milwaukee_) September 7, 2018
What do you think about these harrowing tales?
Let us know in the comments.