If gynecology is premised on such practices as Sims, might the entire specialty be reconsidered in this light? If it were, we would surely find that the racism and misogyny underlying Sim’s practices still flourish in contemporary medicine and its applications, particularly with regard to women and their reproductive organs. The decisions made in the mid 19th century continue to influence the lives of women today. This does not mean that practitioners have studied Sims or are aware of his historic importance. Rather the medical apparatus continues to accommodate and even reward such racism and misogyny. Terri Kapsalis, Public Privates: Performing Gynecology from Both Ends of the Speculum, 1997