Andréa Becker + Joss Fong: Get it Out

Join us for a release event with sociology professor at Hunter College-CUNY Andréa Becker, discussing her new book Get it Out. Joining Andréa in conversation is video journalist Joss Fong. This event will be hosted in the Strand Book Store's 3rd floor Rare Book Room at 828 Broadway on 12th Street.

Can’t make the event?

ACCESSIBILITY:

Strand Book Store is an ADA compliant venue. The event space is accessible via elevator. Please ask a Strand employee upon arrival for directions to accessible seating if preferred.

ASL interpretation is available for this event by request only. Please reach out to our events team at ZXZlbnRzIHwgc3RyYW5kYm9va3MgISBjb20= by July 3 to request.

For further information on accessibility in this space, or to make a request, please contact .

--------------------------------------------------------------------

An examination of hysterectomy and the struggle for bodily and reproductive autonomy

At least one hysterectomy is performed every minute of the year, making it the most common gynecological surgery worldwide. By the age of sixty-five, one out of five people born with a uterus will have it removed. So, why do we seldom talk about this surgery? Highly performed yet overlooked, examining the paradox of hysterectomy begins to unravel the various problems with how we medically treat uteruses and the people who have them.

Get It Out weaves centuries of medical history with rich qualitative data from 100 women, trans men, and nonbinary people who had, want, or are considering hysterectomy. In compelling detail, Andréa Becker reveals how America’s healthcare system routinely deprives people of the ability to control their own bodies along race and gender lines. When people ask for a hysterectomy, they are often met with pushback: Are you sick enough? Old enough? Have you had enough babies? Will you regret this? How will your future husband feel about this? Yet this pushback is not equally experienced. While some people are barred access, others are ushered toward a hysterectomy. These contradictory recommendations reveal the persistent biases entrenched within healthcare.

Get It Out interrogates how little choice people with uteruses ultimately have over their reproductive health, and explores what these “choices” signify amid interlocking systems of inequality.

Photo credit: Giovana Schluter Nunes

Andréa Becker is a sociology professor at Hunter College-CUNY. Her work explores abortion, contraception, and the difficulties people face in opting out of parenthood. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, The Nation, and Slate. She is originally from Mexico City, has a PhD in sociology from the CUNY Graduate Center, and lives in Brooklyn.

Joss Fong is co-creator of Howtown, an independent video journalism channel focused on scientific literacy. She was a founding member of Vox’s video team, where she spent 9 years developing and refining the explainer format that attracted 11 million YouTube subscribers. She holds a master's degree in science reporting from NYU and lives in New York City.

Also check out other Sports events in New York, Health & Wellness events in New York.