It was in that year that the MMR, a name for the well studied Maternal Mortality Ratio (appositive), finally broke 50,000. The sudden outcry that had accompanied the passing of the United States’ MMR from the thousands to tens of thousands was swamped with the constant factual point that now half the prospective mothers that became pregnant, died from said pregnancy. The MMR was measured in parts per 100,000. Deaths rather, per 100,000.
It was after the outcry that pregnancy was finally classified as a disease by the US Government Conglomeration. Parading and wildly reveling at the dawn of a new age (participle), the streets filled with men and women and children and elders and everyone who had or had once had an interest in continuing to replicate for our species. Now that we had recognized the true problem and accepted that pregnancy, with its plethora of complications and risks leading to maternal death (absolute), many of which could no longer be classified or understood, was by healthcare definition a disease--any condition that worsens and if allowed to progress, results in death. Now we could take the long overdue steps to correct our ailment.
I was there. I remember it all.
The support groups started springing up all over. Accompanying the long running Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous for sufferers of the alcoholism and illicit drugs diseases (participle), came MA: Mothers Anonymous. They were wonderfully open and beneficial groups, warm and welcoming (adjectives out of order), despite the name. At-risk fathers were also welcome at these meetings, often running right next door to AA and NA (participle out of order?). Some at-risk fathers found it a perfect system to attend their alcohol session and then their pregnancy session, alcohol being one of the known leading causes of at-risk fathers for developing pregnancy.
Years before it had seemed ridiculous to say that a “father”--as the definition of father had changed since those years from a male that has reproduced to a male who was at risk for reproduction and consequently, maternal mortality--could develop the not yet classified disease of pregnancy but we had sloughed away our ignorance and realized the error in that thinking. It was a reverend by the name of Politician Carlyle that brought to our attention the age old belief, understanding and fact rather (absolute), that sexual intercourse created a bond between a male and female that modified their bodies into “one flesh.” Everyone was at-risk.