Three days later, the production team continued filming in City A, with the focus shifting from a female high school student to ten women from middle-class families. These women, all of whom have been "forced" into the role of housewives, are currently either expecting their first or second child or living alone after a divorce.
Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng did not appear; instead, they went to City B, where they held project meetings with Dong Yi and Yao Lan. As they prepared for filming this documentary, the two were brought on board to oversee the entire process, with one serving as a legal consultant and the other as a female advisor.
It must be said that having old friends around makes things much smoother.
The project team gathered ten women with distinct yet similar personalities, for a tea party. Some exuded youthful vigour, still carrying a girlish charm, while others maintained an image of independent women, elegantly attending the gathering. Some brought their children along to personally care for them, while others arrived accompanied by babies and nannies.
Tea parties among women always revolve around several common topics such as pre-marriage handbags, makeup, men, post-marriage childrearing, in-law relationships, and men. Once the conversation begins, the atmosphere lightens, making it easier to discuss certain topics.
As the cameras rolled, the tea party scene appeared harmonious, with women sharing details of their lives, exploring each other's circumstances. When the conversation turned to gynaecological issues, there was a ten-second silence on screen, capturing the expressions the women tried to conceal, hinting at deep-seated shame, misconceptions, and fears that enveloped them.
The only divorced woman with a child chose to break the awkward silence.
"I am the only one among ten women who is divorced and has a child. The reason for my divorce with my ex-husband was simple - after offspring, our sexual life was not harmonious. I experienced pain every time, we tried various methods to no avail. Eventually, we both developed psychological barriers towards this matter, leading to our divorce."
70 per cent of the women present could empathise with her "pain".
This is a challenge faced by almost every woman after childbirth, but only a small number of people will investigate its root causes. Whether it is due to the organs not fully recovering after childbirth, or because the pelvic floor muscles are in a prolonged tense state, causing pain due to high muscle tension and tissue ischemia, or if it is because of scars left from episiotomy during childbirth, damaging local vaginal muscles and ligaments resulting in tenderness and tension.
Not only are outsiders unaware of this, but even the women themselves may not fully understand.
The story does not end here, the woman continued, "After the divorce, I found a new partner and started a new life. However, the good times did not last long. After living with my new partner for six months, I was diagnosed with HPV-11 positive."
HPV, also known as Human Papillomavirus, has now been identified in over 130 subtypes. Depending on the tissues involved and clinical manifestations, HPV subtypes can be classified into low-risk and high-risk types. Low-risk types typically cause reproductive tract infections; high-risk types are more likely to cause squamous epithelial lesions, and even cancer[1].
HPV-11 subtype is a low-grade mucosal type, one of the main infection subtypes for genital warts. Its main mode of transmission remains sexual contact.
"In recent years, the government has been advocating for eligible women to receive HPV 4-valent and 9-valent vaccines to prevent HPV infection and reduce the incidence of cervical cancer. Due to marriage, pregnancy, divorce, and being busy with a new life, I never considered getting vaccinated in the past. After falling ill, for the first time, I conceptually understood what this disease is. The more I learned about it, I began to question: why can men always go to great lengths and efforts for pleasure? Why do women allow men to do so even when they are not happy or willing?"
She left the question unanswered, but had her own thoughts on it.
The relationship between men and women can never be clearly defined as long as it exists. After a brief discussion, a young girl fidgeted with her skirt and then spoke up. The girl, named Ai Dian, shared, "A year ago, when I received my medical residency qualification, I chose to forgo working in a hospital. My husband and I went from a campus romance to marriage, from naive infatuation at a young age to entering a new phase in life, and I have never regretted it." She touched the ring on her ring finger and continued, "I simply underestimated the institution of marriage."
"After marriage, my mother-in-law lived with us, we had some conflicts. My husband once tried to mediate between us, but over time, he chose to ignore it. Due to the strained relationship with my mother-in-law and his inaction, my entire pregnancy was not smooth, which indirectly led to severe bleeding during childbirth. Because of my mother-in-law, I was unable to go back to my parents' home for the postpartum recovery month, my emotional state was very pessimistic, and I did not take proper care of myself postpartum."
"As I was nearing the end of the postpartum period, my mother brought me and the baby back to her home to stay. When I returned, my mother-in-law had already moved in with her younger daughter. For the following two years, our family of three lived relatively happily until the last Chinese New Year, when my mother-in-law asked in front of relatives if I could give her a grandson next year."
Her first child was a daughter.
"I went for a check-up, and the result showed that the blockage in my fallopian tubes was due to improper postpartum care after severe postpartum haemorrhage," she paused for a moment, then continued with a sense of realisation, "If I hadn't given up my job, I should have been working as a reproductive centre doctor by now. I understand better than anyone what a third-degree blockage in the fallopian tubes means."
In the medical field, fallopian tube obstruction is classified into four levels, with third-degree blockage indicating complete blockage of the tubes, significant damage, and severe lesions. This condition is often caused by a long illness delay in treatment or tuberculous infection, leading to scarring, contraction, and stiffness in the fallopian tubes, resulting in irreversible changes in function. Even if the tubes are successfully unblocked, natural conception is still challenging.
"I eventually underwent fallopian tube recanalization surgery, but before my body fully recovered, my mother-in-law started pressuring me to undergo in vitro fertilisation. There was even a time when I overheard her saying to my husband, 'If it doesn't work out, we can get a divorce. In vitro fertilization is quite expensive.' I thought what my mother-in-law said was absurd, but what shocked me even more was the reaction of the man I had known for over a decade - he simply responded with an 'okay'."
"One evening, I asked him if he remembered our aspirations at eighteen, and he did. At that time, I expressed my desire to become a reproductive doctor as an outstanding and independent woman. I wanted to enlighten every patient who sought help with the meaning of life. He, on the other hand, aimed to become a successful litigation lawyer. Reflecting back, I am not entirely sure what his definition of success entails. Seeing his current ambitious state, I believe his success may be within reach. I recall that night vividly; we shared deep conversations and decided to give our love and marriage a chance by undergoing IVF. If successful, we would nurture this small family; I could return to my medical practice. If unsuccessful, we would find another way to coexist in each other's lives. "
She clearly realised that the young man she adored had loved her wholeheartedly since their teenage years. Time not only took away years but also people's hearts that slip away. She could continue walking alongside him as a loved one, but she would no longer sacrifice her career for it.
Women can choose to be full-time homemakers to care for their families, but they should not be reduced to mere child-bearers. It is essential for women to remember their purpose as unique individuals in this world.
"Today, as we gather here, it is likely that many of us have been affected by gynaecological issues to varying degrees. While most of these ailments can be treated, the process can offer insights into people's hearts and shed light on the societal challenges faced by women." The young woman's gaze moved earnestly from one woman to another, "As a woman who has reached this point in life's journey, I am acutely aware that I aspire to be known not as someone's wife, but as someone identified by the title of a doctor."
Ai Dian's voice was neither loud nor soft, but the final sentence was deafening. Another girl raised her hand; she had undergone treatment for similar reasons and was currently battling for a child. She shifted her gaze to Yao Lan sitting behind the camera. Meeting the inquiring looks, Yao Lan, with her bright red lips, confidently strode into the frame, standing in the midst of the girls. She nodded gently at the girls.
The girl's name was Cen Lan, unlike Ai Dian, she had an arranged marriage with her husband, with not much love before marriage, but they started falling in love after tying the knot.
"As you all can see, I'm not pretty, don't have a curvy figure, have acne on my face, and weigh over 120 pounds. But it's this version of me that received great love," Cen Lan tied her hair up in a high ponytail, revealing a slightly plump, smooth, and rosy complexion. "I used to work in an international kindergarten because I love kids. A year after marriage, we decided to conceive and went to the hospital. We didn't have premarital check-ups, so that check-up brought many surprises. I was diagnosed with infertility due to polycystic ovary syndrome."
Cen Leng paused for a moment, then proceeded to narrate the story in a candid manner, "Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. This illness is likely familiar to most people. Since around the age of twenty, I have constantly heard discussions about this condition, but I never took it seriously. It wasn't until I was diagnosed myself that a friend's words came to mind. She said, we are often only informed about the impact of polycystic ovaries on fertility, yet it takes countless time and effort to realize the full implications of this condition."
More than half of women are affected by polycystic ovaries without understanding it fully. What sets polycystic ovaries apart from other gynecological diseases is its high heterogeneity, with patients potentially experiencing a wide range of symptoms. Among them, some may encounter irregular menstrual cycles, painful periods, abnormally heavy menstrual flow, and other subtle bodily changes, while a few may not exhibit any gynecological symptoms at all.
"I traced back a long way to pinpoint when my polycystic symptoms started. After high school, my periods became irregular, sometimes occurring twice a month, sometimes with several months in between. At that time, I didn't pay much attention, partly due to my limited knowledge of relevant physiological facts, broadly attributing it to academic stress. Later on, I began experiencing frequent acne breakouts and continuous weight gain. In my third year of work, I seized the trend of short videos, creating children's food videos on the platform alongside my job. Only then did I realise that the pressure from my side job was much greater than my main job. By the fifth year of work, my uterus began irregular bleeding. Busy and preoccupied with work, even though the doctor explained the serious consequences of the bleeding, I, relying on my usual good health, didn't take those words to heart until I started preparing for pregnancy at the beginning of last year."
Cen Leng paused for a moment, then proceeded to narrate the story in a candid manner, "Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. This illness is likely familiar to most people. Since around the age of twenty, I have constantly heard discussions about this condition, but I never took it seriously. It wasn't until I was diagnosed myself that a friend's words came to mind. She said, we are often only informed about the impact of polycystic ovaries on fertility, yet it takes countless time and effort to realise the full implications of this condition."
More than half of women are affected by polycystic ovaries without understanding it fully. What sets polycystic ovaries apart from other gynaecological diseases is their high heterogeneity, with patients potentially experiencing a wide range of symptoms. Among them, some may encounter irregular menstrual cycles, painful periods, abnormally heavy menstrual flow, and other subtle bodily changes, while a few may not exhibit any gynaecological symptoms at all.
"I traced back a long way to pinpoint when my polycystic symptoms started. After high school, my menstrual cycle became irregular, sometimes occurring twice a month, sometimes with several months in between. At that time, I didn't pay much attention, partly due to my limited knowledge of relevant physiological facts, broadly attributing it to academic stress. Later on, I began experiencing frequent acne breakouts and continuous weight gain. In my third year of work, I seized the trend of short videos, creating children's food videos on the platform alongside my job. Only then did I realize that the pressure from my side job was much greater than my main job. By the fifth year of work, my uterus began irregular bleeding. Busy and preoccupied with work, even though the doctor explained the serious consequences of the bleeding, I, relying on my usual good health, didn't take those words to heart until I started preparing for pregnancy at the beginning of last year."
Cen Lan, a devoted Catholic, lifted her head slightly to gaze at the ceiling, hoping to reach God through it. She expressed, "I belatedly feel tremors and fear, although nowadays medical technology can help most infertile individuals conceive. I occasionally still perceive this as God's punishment, and fear worldly judgment and scrutiny. However, my husband and in-laws show no discontent or blame; instead, they provide even more care and support for me, both physically and emotionally. My husband told me at that time, in this male-dominated society, even though he cannot fully comprehend all the struggles women face, paid or unpaid, he will not gaze at women and say 'I admire her,' because being human is the most fundamental bottom line that does not change due to any gender, age, or social class."
"Because of this statement, I feel like I married the right person."
He is inherently a very good person.
The tea party exceeded expectations, and the ten women were easier to get along with than anticipated.
This group may be the most complex in terms of social hierarchy, as their levels of education, moral values, and even basic understanding of compliance with regulations vary greatly.