[Last modified: October, 6 2024 04:06 PM]
Topic: The Untold Gynecological Diseases: Reflecting on Women’s Disempowerment through Illness Narratives
Research question: How do illness narratives about women’s gynecological illnesses help us recognize the disempowerment of women within the medical system and patriarchal society?
Methods:
The methodology will mainly employ qualitative research approaches. I am going to use ethnographic methods combined with in-depth interviews to explore and understand the experiences of patients with gynecological illnesses and the perspectives of healthcare providers. It is also important to record spontaneous conversations between healthcare providers and patients in informal situations, such as casual chats outside consultation rooms.
The purpose of the in-depth interviews is to further investigate the perspectives of patients, healthcare workers and family members on the disease, the treatment process and the entire healthcare system. The interview subjects may involve three groups: patients, healthcare workers (such as gynecologists, nurses, pharmacists) and the patients’ relatives. Interviews with patients will focus on their experiences with the disease, their treatment journey and their interactions with the healthcare system. Interviews with healthcare workers will provide an insider’s view on treatment decisions, diagnostic challenges and patient communication strategies.
Potential findings
Firstly, gynecological diseases often can’t receive enough attention and discussion within patriarchal societies. The absence of illness narratives reflects the disempowerment of women within the medical system and demonstrates how these diseases are overlooked by societal and medical discourses. Secondly, illness narratives, as a tool for empowerment, can help women better understand and manage gynecological diseases. However, the lack of these narratives leads to further marginalization and disregard of women in social and medical contexts. Furthermore, gender biases are deeply entrenched in medical practice, affecting the diagnosis and treatment decisions for women’s diseases, which often result in unfair treatment and misunderstandings when women express their disease experiences and needs. Societal judgments about women’s bodies and the expectations tied to gender roles exacerbate the psychological burden and treatment obstacles faced by patients with gynecological diseases.
Bibliograph:
Kleinman, A. (1988). The illness narratives: Suffering, healing, and the human condition. New York: Basic Books
Matías-González, Y. et al. (2021) ‘“Es que tú eres una changa”: stigma experiences among Latina women living with endometriosis’, Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, 42(1), pp. 67-74. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/0167482X.2020.1822807.