Hysterical Bodies: Gender, Medicine & Wandering Uteruses

This session will explore one of the strangest theories in western medical history; ‘The Wandering Uterus Theory’, its almost unbelievable origins, and its ongoing complicity in the subjugated status of the female body in Western Medicine.* In this session we will be using the word female inclusively, to represent all self identifying women, femmes and thems who own a uterus, and those who don’t too.

Beginning with a brief tour of misogyny in ancient medicine, this session will explore the history of the Wandering Uterus theory in the ancient world, tracing its sinister evolution through the middle ages, the era of victorian medical men, and through to our own time.

The second part of the session will explore how the Wandering Uterus Theory evolved over time to become synonymous with ‘Hysteria’ (from the greek Hystera: Womb); another sex-selective disorder, this time associated with mental illness. This part of the session will explore the concept of hysteria, and the danger of yet another cover-all diagnosis which at one point consisted over 67 pages of symptoms - most of which are synonymous with the perfectly normal functioning of the female body.

In the final part of the session, we will explore the ongoing legacy of millennia of medical oppression, exploring how these theories linger under the surface of modern medicine. By scrutinising historical medical treatments for hysteria and acknowledging the gradual recognition of the mind-body connection, attendees will gain insights into the persistent gender biases in medicine and the ongoing challenges in achieving gender-inclusive healthcare.

We are committed to making our sessions as accessible as possible. If you are unable to pay the full amount for this class, please reach out to us via email at [email protected] and we will provide you with a discount code.