today i visited the @designingmotherhood show at @maamboston. i shuffled around the exhibit for a couple hours, mostly muttering “wow” quietly to myself. i learned so much. there are many incredible objects in the show, too many to share here, but the museum is free and the show is open to everyone, and incidentally, that’s who i think should go see it. everyone. some highlights: 1️⃣ a del-em device, used for at-home abortions, from 1971. this thing is built from readily available materials (tube, syringe, glass jar) and created on the existing technology of vacuum aspiration. its slightly gussied-up sibling is the 2️⃣ manual vacuum aspiration foot pump, which was used to perform abortions by physicians. from 1960. 3️⃣ IUDs of the ages!!!! 4️⃣ a swedish breast pump from 1956. looks so cold! breast pumps were not mandated to be covered by insurance in the US until 2010, jesus 5️⃣ various pessaries, which are insertable devices that support descending organs. did you know that half of uterus-owning people over age 50 have pelvic organ prolapse? i did not. can’t wait though 6️⃣ a new speculum prototype made from soft silicone and aluminum, designed by a female-led san francisco firm 7️⃣ DIY cervical cancer screening test, currently in research trials in the UK, so you can test yourself for HPV at home. wowie 8️⃣ second edition of “our bodies, ourselves” from 1974. from the exhibition text: “first-person testimonials formed the core of the book, overriding predominantly male doctors to place trust in womens’ own embodied experiences.” 🖤🖤🖤