(MSNBC) A seemingly well-meaning warning from the federal government about the risks of drinking and pregnancy has set off a firestorm of outrage.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention simply meant to caution women who may plan to get pregnant, or who might accidentally get pregnant, about drinking alcohol. What many women heard was a patronizing and condescending lecture that suggested they were not in charge of their own bodies.
What CDC said seemed dry enough: “About half of all U.S. pregnancies are unplanned and, even if planned, most women do not know they are pregnant until they are 4-6 weeks into the pregnancy. This means a woman might be drinking and exposing her developing baby to alcohol without knowing it,” the agency said in a “Vital Signs” report released Tuesday.
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