- Sep 2021
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hypothes.is hypothes.is
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the following terms are from the arkansas department of health: family planning
"prevent unwanted pregnancies" = abortion "lifestyle behaviors" = having sex "prevent unintended pregnancies" = birth control "infants born too early" = premature babies for some insane reason, all of these things are still considered taboo. the website is using euphemism (and for the infants one, orthphemism). these terms like "unwanted pregnancy" are way "softer" than saying that a woman has become pregnant and wants an abortion. they don't use abortion once on the entire website. the goal is to seem neutral and clinical, so there is no room for emotions. birth control is somehow also still considered taboo by many, so it is much easier and clinical to say "contraceptives." i think the website does an amazing job of making it very clear what family planning can do without giving the haters any room to be dumb.
the other website, "the order of the good death," uses a lot of orthphemisms. words like "bacteria," "decomposing bodies," and "decomposition" describe exactly what is literally happening. it uses clinical words to explain what a dead body goes through during decomposition, like "autolysis" and "rigor mortis." because of my own person idealogy concerning death, i wanted to read this website and deem it dysphemistic, but i think it really is just very literal, clinical diction. the website does a really good job of ecplaining important questions that i'm sure a lot of people have who are afraid to ask. this also seems like something i would research at 3 am after skipping out on my zoloft for a few days. in that situation, i would need clear, concise answers to my questions. death is often really taboo and emotional, and the interworkings of death are something that we as a society NEVER talk about. i think this website just wanted to answer our questions.
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