fic question [the Dalaverse]

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WRITING. WRITING. Finally WRITING. And on a WIP to boot!

Ohhhh, that feels good.

And now I have to do bio reading, boo. But first, a quick question to anybody who might know: PotC-era disease that might make a woman sterile? It seems plausible to me, but I can't think of what one would actually be.

Mood::

excited

Music:: "land of canaan," indigo girls

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There are 17 comments on this entry. (Reply.)

oooo writing!

and gonorrhea will deff make a woman sterile...im about 99 per cent positive that they had that back then too.

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Yes, gonorrhea was around back then.

There was a period where historians thought it was the one infectious disease the Native Americans introduced to the Europeans (as opposed to the many 'we' introduced them to) but that's recently been debunked by analysis of burials in pre-1492 Europe.

Pelvic inflammatory disease-- basically, a severe infection of the uterus-- would do it, too, but I'm not sure that would be survivable without modern antibiotics.

Then there's pueperal fever (no idea what the modern name is, I only know about it because Henry VIII's last wife died of it) but that was only something you got immediately after childbirth.

Now, finding a disease that would cause sterility in a woman who was still a virgin, that's much trickier.

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Well, it's an Elizabeth who is not a virgin, but has only been with Will, so a veneral disease wouldn't quite work. Sigh. I might just give her a bad belly cut instead.

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What, you don't think Will might've given in to temptation and had a bit on the side at some point before their marriage? (Me, neither. He was far too freaked by being hit on by that comparatively young-and-pretty whore in Tortuga.)

If you don't need a specific, in-story reason for her being sterile...

My mom had adhesions closing her fallopian tubes. Back in the 50s the solution to this (SQUICK ALERT) was to use air pressure to force them open. She assures me it was QUITE painful.

Obviously that technique wouldn't be an option for Elizabeth, but using that would mean she and Will couldn't have any kids, either.

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What, you don't think Will might've given in to temptation and had a bit on the side at some point before their marriage? (Me, neither. He was far too freaked by being hit on by that comparatively young-and-pretty whore in Tortuga.)

::giggles:: The way he looked at her cleavage was priceless. "OMG boobies, what do I do???"

Thank you for the advice. I don't know why I'm even stressing over this, considering it's not what I'm writing at the moment.

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Don't know why I didn't think of this before....

But if you need her sterile, why not just give her a -really- hard childbirth, with internal injuries and things? That could do it.

It's not even all that improbable, as Kiera Knightly does not have 'earth mother' hips.

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Awww, but I don't wanna make Elizabeth a whore!

Thanks, though :) COME VISIT ME OMG.

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hehe, i cant quite see elizabeth as a whore either. :)

im trying to find a weekend when ill be available. its gona be soon, im promiseing myself!

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A non veneral disease that can cause sterility and was rather common back then is tuberulosis.(rather dangerous back then, though the woman *could* have survived)

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Aha, that's more the type of thing I'm looking for, although recovery time would be really, really extensive, right? I'm not sure I can account for that much time in the fic...but thank you for the suggestion :)

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An early-term miscarriage, perhaps? I'm also reasonably sure that mumps can make one sterile when infected at an older age, but I'm not sure how long the disease has been around.

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Hmmm. That's a thought. I like that one best so far.

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As far as I know, mumps can only cause sterility in men.

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some women are just born sterile. your uterus might be too small, too thick, off centre or otherwise deficient. your ovaries can be not attatched, not working or simply not there. it's surpising how many women are just born 'wrong'. and in those days there'd be no way of diagnosing so they'd just be labeled barren. given that Elizabeth is quite young and skinny it's possible that she is simply not developed enough to have children *yet*, especially if she's still recently a virgin as your ability to conceive can be affected by your homonal levels, which change when you start having regular sex.

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Good point. Thanks for your help!

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Greets,
I'm a nurse and there are ton's of illness's that cause infertility in women....most of which, they would be unable to test for in that era.
However, I am aware that, during that time and earlier, it was not uncommon for upper class British women to use arsenic for their complexions. I don't know what the cannon cause of death was for Elizabeth's mother...but if she were inclined to have indulged during pregnency...that would have impacted on Elizabeth's fetal development and future ability to become pregnant. Quite possibly in the form of a pituitary tumor that could inhibit hormone production for ovulation.
Or if you want to keep it simple...mumps does cause infertility in females as well.
:^)
And by the by...I really enjoy your writing.

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Thank you :)

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