Oophorectomy is the surgical removal of the ovaries of a female animal. In the case of non-human animals, this is also called spaying. It is a form of sterilization.

The removal of the ovaries together with the Fallopian tubes is called salpingo-oophorectomy. Oophorectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy are not common forms of birth control in humans; more usual is tubal ligation, in which the Fallopian tubes are blocked but the ovaries remain intact.

In humans, oophorectomy is most usually performed together with a hysterectomy - the removal of the uterus. Its use in a hysterectomy when there are no other health problems is somewhat controversial.

In animals, spaying involves an invasive removal of the ovaries, but rarely has major complications; the superstition that it causes weight gain is not based on fact. Spaying is especially important for certain animals that require the ovum to be released at a certain interval (called estrus or "heat"), such as cats and dogs. If the cell is not released during these animal's heat, it can cause severe medical problems that can be averted by spaying or partnering the animal with a male.

Oophorectomy is sometimes referred to as castration, but that term is most often used to mean the removal of a male animal's testicles.

See also

• tubal ligation & birth control
• circumcision
• genital mutilation & female circumcision

Despite its rickety appearance, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra has survived for over thirty years.

The Aboriginal Tent Embassy is a controversial semi-permanent assemblage claiming to represent the political rights of Australian Aborigines. It is made of a large group of activists, signs, and tents that reside on the lawn of Parliament House in Canberra, the Australian capitol. It is not considered an official embassy by the Australian government.

History

In 1972, the Tent Embassy was established in response to a federal ruling rejecting Aboriginal land rights. No Aborigines were involved in the decision, and Aborigines across the country were deeply disturbed by the ruling. Many protesters met on the lawn of the Parliament House, made up a list of demands, and refused to leave until their demands were addressed. Over thirty years later, they are still there. There have been a few minor violent confrontations when the government tried to force the Tent Embassy to disperse, but it has never gone away. Its staying power, despite its rickety, temporary architecture, has become an important symbol to many Aborigines.

When the 2000 Olympic Games came to Sydney, Aborigines set up a second Tent Embassy on the Olympic grounds. The peaceful demonstration became a part of the show, with many Olympic athletes giving offerings and prayers to the Aborigine ritual fires.

Issues

The Tent Embassy promotes Australian Aboriginal Sovereignty. Their demands included land rights and mineral rights to Aboriginal lands, legal and political control of certain sacred sites, and compensation for land stolen. Their demands have been consistently rebuffed.

The group describes itself as an embassy, a designation the Australian government objects to. The group claims to represent a displaced nation of peoples, unjustly occupied by the Australian government. The subject remains very controversial in Australian politics.

External links

• Aboriginal Tent Embassy: Icon or Eyesore? http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/chron/1999-2000/2000chr03.htm