"The Case of the Missing Clitoris: Dis/attending to Sex and Pleasure in Healthcare" — In US healthcare, discussing sex is a fraught endeavor; in many cases it’s easier to just avoid it entirely. Thus sex and pleasure are usually not considered on their own but for what they may say about reproduction, pain, or disease. Professional norms to avoid sex and pleasure ostensibly protect parties from sexual violence and undue discomfort, but people trying so hard not to be sexually inappropriate risk missing out on important information and possible solutions. When touching genitals is part of extended rehabilitation treatments, how do people grapple with the complexities of safety, stigma, and sexuality? 

CSWS research fellow Bex MacFife presents stories from a sociology study of patients and providers’ experiences with pelvic floor physical therapy, where they find that an over-emphasis on desexualization eclipses the full range of sensory embodiment we are capable of, which impacts how we feel and perceive our own and others’ bodies.

MacFife is a white non-binary gynecological teaching associate and PhD candidate in sociology with an MA in sexuality studies. They research the social construction of genitals, sensory phenomenology, and medical trauma. Outside of academia, they enjoy participating in mutual aid, being upside down, and foraging.

12–1 p.m. Friday, April 25  |  330 Hendricks Hall |  1408 University Street, Eugene