Amanda Knox

I remember two minutes before my son was born, my doctor finally recommended that I have a C-section. And after like 24 hours of labor or something, I was ready for it. But I cried and I realized that I was crying because I was afraid. I was afraid to meet my son. And the minute I did, like, and he was a person finally who I had a real relationship with.

all of these imagined images of him and potential lives for him dissolved. And it was really only at that moment that I realized how disability can be so divorced from its human context through these technologies and how I really needed to just meet this baby in order to put it back there.

all of these imagined images of him and potential lives for him dissolved. And it was really only at that moment that I realized how disability can be so divorced from its human context through these technologies and how I really needed to just meet this baby in order to put it back there.

all of these imagined images of him and potential lives for him dissolved. And it was really only at that moment that I realized how disability can be so divorced from its human context through these technologies and how I really needed to just meet this baby in order to put it back there.

I've wondered that many times. One of the technologies that I write about in the book is the NIPT, which is a blood test of the pregnant person that can be done very early in pregnancy, as early as nine weeks. And there are now consumer versions of this test that are used to screen The blood for the potential appearance of certain genetic changes. And BWS is so rare.

I've wondered that many times. One of the technologies that I write about in the book is the NIPT, which is a blood test of the pregnant person that can be done very early in pregnancy, as early as nine weeks. And there are now consumer versions of this test that are used to screen The blood for the potential appearance of certain genetic changes. And BWS is so rare.

I've wondered that many times. One of the technologies that I write about in the book is the NIPT, which is a blood test of the pregnant person that can be done very early in pregnancy, as early as nine weeks. And there are now consumer versions of this test that are used to screen The blood for the potential appearance of certain genetic changes. And BWS is so rare.

It's found, I think, at this point in about one in 10,000 births. that it really wouldn't make sense to test every person for it. But I remember asking a doctor, you know, could you do this really early in pregnancy? And she said, yeah, like technically you could. And I really fear...

It's found, I think, at this point in about one in 10,000 births. that it really wouldn't make sense to test every person for it. But I remember asking a doctor, you know, could you do this really early in pregnancy? And she said, yeah, like technically you could. And I really fear...

It's found, I think, at this point in about one in 10,000 births. that it really wouldn't make sense to test every person for it. But I remember asking a doctor, you know, could you do this really early in pregnancy? And she said, yeah, like technically you could. And I really fear...

thinking about who I was as this very scared, newly pregnant person who felt insufficient to the job of parenting, that I would be influenced to consider abortion. And Later in my pregnancy, I had an even scarier prenatal test that suggested that it was possible that the genetic abnormality in my child was catastrophic. And I was stealing myself for abortion at that point, too.

thinking about who I was as this very scared, newly pregnant person who felt insufficient to the job of parenting, that I would be influenced to consider abortion. And Later in my pregnancy, I had an even scarier prenatal test that suggested that it was possible that the genetic abnormality in my child was catastrophic. And I was stealing myself for abortion at that point, too.

thinking about who I was as this very scared, newly pregnant person who felt insufficient to the job of parenting, that I would be influenced to consider abortion. And Later in my pregnancy, I had an even scarier prenatal test that suggested that it was possible that the genetic abnormality in my child was catastrophic. And I was stealing myself for abortion at that point, too.

It was not catastrophic. There was not a brain abnormality like I had feared. I was so grateful. that there were just a few places in the United States that I could have sought an abortion had I needed or wanted to. And so nothing about this experience has made me question my feeling that abortion should be available to any person who needs or wants it. in any context.

It was not catastrophic. There was not a brain abnormality like I had feared. I was so grateful. that there were just a few places in the United States that I could have sought an abortion had I needed or wanted to. And so nothing about this experience has made me question my feeling that abortion should be available to any person who needs or wants it. in any context.

It was not catastrophic. There was not a brain abnormality like I had feared. I was so grateful. that there were just a few places in the United States that I could have sought an abortion had I needed or wanted to. And so nothing about this experience has made me question my feeling that abortion should be available to any person who needs or wants it. in any context.

But I do have this new understanding of the context in which these decisions are being made. And I think that context is really lacking. And so it's not the availability of abortion. It's not even the availability of some of these prenatal tests. Ultimately, I was really glad that my son was diagnosed before he was born because it meant that

But I do have this new understanding of the context in which these decisions are being made. And I think that context is really lacking. And so it's not the availability of abortion. It's not even the availability of some of these prenatal tests. Ultimately, I was really glad that my son was diagnosed before he was born because it meant that

But I do have this new understanding of the context in which these decisions are being made. And I think that context is really lacking. And so it's not the availability of abortion. It's not even the availability of some of these prenatal tests. Ultimately, I was really glad that my son was diagnosed before he was born because it meant that

his doctors could be waiting for him right when he came out. But I also understood only then that these choices are being made in a culture that highly stigmatizes disability and that expects women to sacrifice everything about themselves and their body in the pursuit of creating a a healthy, which I think is a euphemism for normal, child. And it's that context that I hope we can challenge.