Feminism in Health Care

Feminism in Health Care

Gender places people in categories, of either male or female, which results in inequality. Segregation by gender is one of the notable features in the division of labor in health care. As a result, women are assigned secondary status within and among professions. This paper discusses the devaluing of females as health care professions due to medicalization of women’s bodies and male dominance in health care.

Ivy Lynn Bourgeault discusses feminism in Chapter 2 which focuses on the Sociological Perspectives on Health and Health Care. She states that feminism focuses on inequalities based on gender which is arising from the male dominated systems. Many feminists argue that differences, based on experiences and access to power, among men and women are socially constructed. Bourgeault also states that the society itself is inherently gendered and consequently not naturally constructed. This social construction of gender has resulted in socially constructed judgments and inequalities in medicalization of females and the male-dominance in the health care division.

Medicalization of the female body disqualifies them as well-suitable, dependable health care providers since medicalization qualifies them as natural patients. As Bourgeault states in the text, medicalization promoted the notion of women’s frailty reducing their status in the health care division. Due to the criticism of pregnancy and childbirth medicalization, it has escalated into the medicalization of women’s bodies and lives completely. This has been problematized and has begun to foster an entire social movement in regards to normalizing birth. It has also motivated the idea of in-home birthing.

Childbirth is predominantly being considered as an illness when it should be considered as a natural event which holds great significance. Expectant mothers are placed in hospitals to be assigned to care for the “illness” of pregnancy, since they are induced with weakness and dependency due to the use of drugs, straps and isolation. The isolation is a key feature since it is also involved with the concept of isolating the sick and the dying, therefore stating implicitly that the pregnant mothers are filled with sickness.

Menopause is another example of medicalization which was considered a disease of deficiency. It resulted in the development of synthetic forms of estrogen and estrogen-replacement therapy. These processes promised women the ability to avoid this disease of menopause and stay “feminine forever.” A women’s potential and function are biologically destined and help determine their worth through their ability to reproduce and attractiveness. In situations where there is rejection of the feminine role, there will be physical and emotional havoc. It is also important to note that aging women were considered to be useless and repulsive and so avoiding menopause would be the best alternative to savor femininity. As a result, the female role in society was now linked to the disease labelled menopause.

Taking all these examples into consideration, the focus is that medicalization is resulting in reduced consideration of females as health care practitioners. From my understanding, medicalization has turned the female race into an illness. Being a women is difficult since pregnancy

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