sterilization
Who taught: Scott Pelley
Sterilization (source: http://www.babble.com/)
My daily life is pretty much a routine. Sounds boring? Well, but I like everything being organized and do not like to see something unexpected. And, one of the things I do almost every day is watching NBC Nightly News and CBS Evening News. It is a great way to listen to English as well as to learn what is happening now in the world.
Today, I learned a total new meaning of this word, sterilization. To me, this word has simply one definition as follows.
to destroy microorganisms in or on, usually by bringing to a high temperature with steam, dry heat, or boiling liquid.
This sounds very good and I sort of liked this word even though I do not have many chances to use it. Now, let me ask this question to you, my non-native English speaker friends? Do you know any other definitions of this word than this? As I said, till today, I thought this word has only this definition above.
As I watch today’s CBS Evening News, they used this word saying, “A sterilization victim in North Carolina.” I did not understand at all. What kind of victim would there be with sterilization, meaning the definition above? NC state put people into a huge room where the temperature was too high so that the people were burn? As I listened more, I was able to realize that it must mean something else and that must be related with having a baby.
So, I looked it up and found a total new definition.
to destroy the ability of (a person or animal) to reproduce by removing the sex organs or inhibiting their functions.
OMG! How could that kind of thing happen by the order of government? Here is a little history lesson for you in relation to this type of sterilization happened in the U.S. between 1920’s and 1970’s.
I would have never imagined that this kind of acts existed in the U.S. Maybe, it is time for me to study American history.
Just for reference:
In the medical field when talking about cleaning things; there is sanitization and sterilization. To sanitize is to remove the dirt, foreign materials, etc. To sterilize is to kill microbes, etc.
You have to sanitize first, then sterilize. You use this same procedure when cleaning a carboy for making beer.
Ciao!
Hey Christian,
Thanks for the reference! That helps me understand the difference. Carboy is a new term to me. That will show up sometime later in my post.
An interesting note on the other end of the spectrum is that it can be very difficult for people who want to be sterilized to actually get a doctor to perform the procedure. Most doctors refuse to sterilize men and women in their twenties (and sometimes early thirties), and they often won’t agree to sterilize women if they have never had children.
Hmm… that is actually interesting because in Korea it is so easy to have the procedure. Doctors are so happy to do it because it is an easy money for them.