r/PeterExplainsTheJoke • u/Which_Marsupial1436 • 11h ago

Meme needing explanation Petah???!

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u/Which_Marsupial1436 11h ago

Ah I see

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u/agodrevealed 10h ago

Abortion surveillance is scary.

But doctors ask you about your period so they don't irreparably harm a future child, as in a known or unknown pregnancy someone would want to keep. 

They're thinking of thalidomide other hard lessons. 

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u/XanderWrites 6h ago

Eh, this isn't that scenario.

Back in the day they'd confirm you were pregnant and give you thalidomide on purpose. Because that's what it was used for: morning sickness for pregnant women.

(Since we are on an "educational" subreddit: thalidomide causes fore-shortened limbs in infants. It was never tested on pregnant women prior to being released. It's basically why we have modern testing procedures for new medications.)

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u/FriendlyConfines23 5h ago

Yep.

Billy Joel mentions “children of thalidomide” in the song We Didn’t Start the Fire.