Emma Ming Kayhart – she/her

I am a cis woman who took Accutane, the acne control medication, for 6 months during 2019. When I took the medicine, the language/verbiage for the instructions and information was very gendered. There were tons of warnings for *female* patients who can get pregnant and few to no warnings for *male* patients. This exclusionary language has now been updated to *patients* who can/cannot get pregnant. Accutane works great for those with non-hormonal acne issues and is a category-X prescription. It can cause serious birth defects, so much so that it is a federally-regulated program. Those who can get pregnant have to be on two forms of birth control as well as prove that they are not pregnant during every month of the course and one month before plus one month after. For me, I saw the routine of taking a UPT (pregnancy test) and forms of birth control just as something I had to do to continue the prescription, but for those who are making a transition, it can be very harmful to their mental health and gender affirmation. If you were to become pregnant while on Accutane, you would have to stop immediately and it is highly recommended that you get an abortion. With Roe v Wade being overturned, it brings another layer of risk to taking the medication. Materials: screen prints, stitchery, liquid latex, paint, papier maché (using iPledge consent forms), medical glass slides, recycled glass bottles

Emma Ming Kayhart grew up in Atlanta and holds a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She works in mixed mediums that include hand cut paper, printmaking, drawing, and glass, smashed and reconfigured.