Medicalization of Birth in the United States Through The Lens of The Handmaid's Tale

Abstract

The TV series The Handmaid’s Tale, based on the bestselling book by Margaret Atwood, provides the audience with a visual experience which leaves them with indelible impressions of social stratification. Inspired by the representation of social hierarchy shown by differences between clothes, protestors in real life have found the costume of the handmaids to be a useful symbol to protest themes related to the TV series in reality, including sexual assault and reproductive rights. However, barely anything is written or discussed about the medicalization of birth around The Handmaid’s Tale. Although the medicalization of birth has existed in the United States for a long time, most people are uneducated about its harms. The medical-industrial complex behind the scene positions patients under an unfair medical system that can negatively impact their health. Therefore, this paper shows how the TV series provides a lens through which to reflect the negative aspects of this real-life issue in order to raise public awareness.