bestofhistory:Agnodice 4th Century BCEAgnodice is credited with being the first woman gynecologist w
bestofhistory:Agnodice 4th Century BCEAgnodice is credited with being the first woman gynecologist with a medical degree. Her story is told by Hyginus, a latin author. When the Greeks discovered how many women were having abortions without their husband’s permission, women were banned from practicing medicine. So, Agnodice cut her hair and dressed in men’s clothing to attend medical school. She studied gynecology and earned the highest marks.When she went into practice, she continued to hide her gender, until one night she heard a woman screaming in pain of childbirth. She ran to aid the woman, but because of patriarchal notions, the woman (like many) refused the help of a physician. Desperate to convince the woman to let her assist, Agnodice lifted her clothes and exposed herself as female. Word got around and women started seeking Agnodice out, specifically for her sex. Other physicians noticed they were losing patients to Agnodice. Ignorant to her gender, they accused the physician of seducing and raping her patients and took her to court. There, Agnostice exposed herself as a woman to the public. Her accusers then wanted to charge her for practicing medicine as a woman. She would have been put to death, had her patients and supporters not rallied around her. Crowds of women spoke out for her and the wives of the judges told their husbands, “You are not spouses, but enemies since you are condemning her who discovered health for us.” Not only was Agnodice acquitted but the law was changed, allowing women to practice medicine as long as they only served other women. Some consider Agnodice’s story a folklore because it follows a few Greek tropes. She exists today as a symbol of women’s struggle for bodily autonomy. -- source link
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