Bodies Suspended (I Bled For a Year and a Half)

Gauze, thread, US currency

42 x 36 x 0.5 in

2021

Between 2018 and 2019, I bled almost every week for a year and a half. During this time, I went through three different OBGYN’s until I finally found one that seemed to care; they repeatedly told me “Don’t worry about it.” Further, as a sex worker, I felt trapped in these doctors’ hands. While the bleeding problem was impacting my income, I felt too uncomfortable to admit this to them in fear that it would make them care even less. Unfortunately, women are so often ignored in the medical field, and Bodies Suspended (I Bled For a Year and a Half) aims to bring awareness to this issue. This piece utilizes gauze fabric as a nod to the medical field, cut out in the shape of my body in different comfort positions I frequent when I am in pain from the bleeding. Meanwhile, the US currency indicates the money lost to doctor’s visits, feminine products, and lack of income due to not being able to do sex work during this time.