Jennifer Jako, age 33, HIV + and intentionally pregnant. Notice how Jako's head obscures the letters in Newsweek that would spell "WE," leaving nothing in its place except Jennifer's off center head and body, forming the unmistakable letter "I." Trace her left temporal area to the letters "EK." That's exactly what Annie said aloud: "EEK!" upon viewing this Newsweek cover girl. News ek! Annie said that just before tossing lunch. Annie's mind could not be stopped from wandering and wondering at the mockery this cover illustration presents.
Is this what "empowering women" has wrought? People so selfish and self-absorbed that nothing and I mean absolutely nothing is sacred in the neverending conquest to obtain what "I want," regardless of the cost to anyone or anything? That caption over the Clinton/Gates pieces should read "Fighting the Plague OF Empowered Women," who have taken to the extreme the notions of privilege, status, power. And ultimately, we all pay the heavy dues. What are privilege and rights without responsibility? Yes. Privilege and rights are separate, not equal. And they should be. Separate. They are completely different entities. The consequences of power gone mad are wrapped up neatly in a red package and could easily be gift-tagged "To Pandora."
By most accounts, Jennifer grew up ensconced in a life of privilege in a wealthy suburb of Portland, Oregon. More than likely, Jennifer has not grown up at all. Youthful indiscretions with alcohol and sex dealt Jennifer an unlucky hand. It's just possible that the hostile "I want it, and I'll get it" face we see in Jennifer's pose for Newsweek reveals a bitterness and smug hostility completely denied by those who insist that Jako is well ... a saint! a martyr! a "remarkable" woman! a "fighter!" Here's a woman who intentionally exposes a fetus to HIV infection, lords it over the country in maternity togs fit for the Red Queen, allows Newsweek to centerfold her nude pregnant body in a field of grass - subtly sexualizing not only the moment but pregnancy itself, and then has the audacity to defiantly glare at the camera. Annie is no sexual prude. By far. However, this is just too much. The human body, particularly a pregnant one, is beautiful in and of itself. This cover graphic and the centerfold inside make a mockery of all that is beautiful and Sacred about love, life, pregnancy and motherhood.
This is not art, this is not empowerment, this is not about anything but a Selfish Woman, whose bitter cup has created the potential for producing a child "just like her." Yes. There is a baby girl developing in that sickened womb. And should the Fates look less kindly upon Baby Girl Jako as they did on 18-year-old spoiled girl Jennifer, then we will see a reproduction of Jennifer Jako. An infant with a life-threatening disease who has yet to grow up. Jennifer ends her portion of the Newsweek story with these words "I want to be here for her." Jennifer claims to have spent the 15 years post HIV infection as an HIV/AIDS educator and activist.
And what of the intentional exposure of that fetal girl baby to the HIV virus? Well, here is what the law in a majority of States declares:
22-18-31. (Text of section effective until July 1, 2006) Intentional exposure to HIV infection a felony. Any person who, knowing himself or herself to be infected with HIV, intentionally exposes another person to infection by:
(1) Engaging in sexual intercourse or other intimate physical contact with another person;
(2) Transferring, donating, or providing blood, tissue, semen, organs, or other potentially infectious body fluids or parts for transfusion, transplantation, insemination, or other administration to another in any manner that presents a significant risk of HIV transmission;
The law is tricky. In its infinite and "superior" wisdom ... The State of Oregon fails to include any such laws into its statutes. No doubt this was a factor in Jennifer's decision to manufacture her pregnancy via in-vitro method in that particular State. Jako is not a sweet, shy, simple girl as stated by so many who claim to know her. Our Red Flag Alert meter tilts out at "calculating, manipulative, bitter, hostile, selfish, spoiled." Yeah ... Annie will flog it out. Bring it on, gurls.
From PublicHealthLaw.net:
"On a distinct, but related issue, an Oregon family court judge has granted the state legal custody of a child born to an HIV infected mother who refused to give the infant AZT and wanted to breast-feed her child." If the infant was already HIV +, then Annie could see no harm in breastfeeding. Withholding retrovirals would be another story.
While life for Jako, et al, may just turn out fine and all would be well, our hope goes out to that baby girl still in utero. She has no choice in the matter. Our prayer is that this infant does not join the growing generation of young HIV+ children whose virus has become resistant to the current anti-viral therapies. (Pregnancy Category C retrovirals, we might add.) Some chances you just don't take Mz. Jako.
Self-respect is the fruit of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself
----Rabbi Abraham Heschel
2 comments:
Jako's daughter, as expected, is HIV negative and has just completed her second birthday - a happy, healthy, loved child.
Jako did not breastfeed, an added measure to avoid further potential exposure to both the virus and the toxic medications Jako must remain adherent to in order to suppress viral replication.
Jako appeared in Newsweek to further the information that pregnant HIV positive women around the likely to give birth to healthy children if they have access to pre-natal care and life saving medications. Studies bear out that there is a less than 1 percent chance of transmission of HIV from mother to child when the mother remains on successful HAART (medication that suppresses viral replication) treatment combination. This is less than the risk at Jako's age of giving birth to a baby with Down's Syndrome.
If you would like to find out more about Jennifer Jako and her life's work of preventing HIV infection and increasing awareness and understanding of HIV/AIDS, please look her up on Wikipedia or google her name.
One will find that Jako is not a child of privilege, instead a self made survivor of much adversity.
You've set a new standard of "missing the mark." Your thoughts and comments about Jako could not have been farther from reality. A child of privilege? Wealthy? What?!
Jennifer grew up poor, impoverished, and abused. At the age of 9 she already had maturity and intelligence to surpass that of most 30-year-olds. She hasn't a selfish cell in her beautiful, life-giving body.
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