ChezLark

This is kind of spooky. The Washington Post reports:

New federal guidelines ask all females capable of conceiving a baby to treat themselves — and to be treated by the health care system — as pre-pregnant, regardless of whether they plan to get pregnant anytime soon.

Among other things, this means all women between first menstrual period and menopause should take folic acid supplements, refrain from smoking, maintain a healthy weight and keep chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes under control.
[...]
Women should also make sure all vaccinations are up-to-date and avoid contact with lead-based paints and cat feces, [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report co-author] Biermann said.
[...]
The report recommends that women stop smoking and discuss with their doctor the danger alcohol poses to a developing fetus.

The full report, if you go read it, emphasizes that half of pregnancies are unplanned and that a lot of damage can be done to the fetus in the time between conception and when the mother learns about the pregnancy.

It seems hard to argue with improved infant health, but isn’t it a little… uh…. Handmaid’s Tale to tell all women “capable of conceiving a baby” to act as though they’re already pregnant, even if they have no intention of ever bearing a child? Laura’s pre-natal vitamins made her nausea worse, and pregnant women are counseled to avoid alcohol alltogether. I guess if you live alone with a cat, you’re expected to turn it in for euthenasia or adoption.

For your careful consideration and thoughtful comparison, I submit this recent Slate article discussing the ongoing politicization of the Center for Disease Control. A recent symposium on sexually transmitted diseases, organized by the CDC, was retooled at the last minute to be made more friendly to abstinence-only “sex education”.

So, is this all a coincidence, or are government-funded agencies that are supposed to provide scientifically grounded and dispassionate recommendations for public policy being remolded into reinforcers of a conservative world-view, including the idea that womens’ primary function is to bear children, and that goal should be the prime determinant of their health choices?