HPS 439A: Final Paper 1

HPS 439A: Final Paper

Arlynna Mitchell

August 12th 2020

The University of Arizona

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Hearing about people’s personal experiences and struggles can create ways to change a

person’s perspective on that particular issue. The topic of women’s health on a global scale has

created opportunities for voices to be heard and talk about issues that are being affected. This can

cause viewers to articulate a side of agreement based on being educated about a topic and issue,

that can include women's health and globility. Women deal with problems of inequity in the

health system based on their personal experiences, historical experiences and cultural

differences. Women should have the right for equal health care delivery that can show

improvements in health status and well-being.

In today’s society there are a variety of groups from different countries, ethnic groups,

and socioeconomic status. When it pertains to a person’s health, especially for a woman, their

personal background information can greatly influence the deliverance of health. In the article

“Defining Women’s Health: A Dozen Messages from more than 150 Ethnographies” by Marcia

C. Inhorn, it states “women’s health problems cannot be separated from the larger social,

cultural, economic and political forces that shape women’s lives” (Inhorn, 2006). And also

stating from the article of projecting and seeing “women's health as a discursive field is usually

defined by others” (Inhorn,M.2006). These specific evidences and perceptions shape a women’s

cultural experience of health for the reason of dominance and intimidation of a country’s forces

brought to women. This would cause women’s delivery of health care to become blindsided and

not becoming its own issue to be recognized. And have this issue to roam and wander without

actually giving it proper attention. Women should have the right for equal health care delivery

can show improvements in health status and well-being based on their personal experiences

because people can see women’s health being valuable and important.That can be a way for
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women to display their experiences of health to others, impacting change to occur in the system.

And being a main issue needing attention aside from government and social influences.

Creating and implementing guidelines can play a role in how a population could be

treated and how it can affect their lives. Knowing medical experiments from the past can become

an indicator for an issue to be solved. In the article “Reproductive Justice in the Twenty-First

Century” by Loretta Ross mentions the creation of sterilization for women, stating one of its

early case in 1927 “a woman was sterilized because authorities thought of her as an incomptent

mother who was poor” (Ross, L. 2017). And other cases involving three young girls “being black

and poor that was under the inspection to being mentally incompetent expeiecning sterilization

without evidence of being sexually active ot intellectually impaired” (Ross, L. 2017). Based on

the success of sterilization cases, it became evident to make this legally available for doctors to

do. Stating in the article “in the twenty-first century doctors were calling for an easing of

sterilization guidelines that won ruling in the 1970s” (Ross, L. 2017). The effects of this ruling

would cause controversy and thought of it as a way of being unfair to women’s reproductive

health. In the current healthcare system forced sterilization is rarely forced onto patients based on

past experiences. Stating “physicians who want to roll back protections for women in danger of

sterilization abuse, would make guidelines create inconvenience providing voluntary

sterilizations to medicaid patients” (Ross, L. 2017). These specific evidences and perceptions

shape historical conditions because forced sterilization became well known in the early and mid

twenty-first century, that doctors had to abide by. Knowing this information would show

contemporary problems of forced abortions and infertilty ,percieivng this as a way to relieve a

woman’s health and personal situations such as lack of income. Making women powerless of

their own medical decisions regarding their health. Women should have the right for equal health
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care delivery and show improvements in health status and well-being based on historical

experiences. Because this can be a way for doctors to treat female patients fairly and offer safe

alternatives such as adoption that won’t affect the reproductive system. And reach a level of

equality across to women from different classes and ethnic groups.

Based on a person’s background can determine success in life and chances of greater life

expectancy. In the article “Resistance and Resilience: The Spjourner Syndrome and the social

context of reproduction in central Harlem” by Leith Mullings, it states “class, race and gender

hierarchies and women’s attempts to address these conditions are caused by sources of stress and

chronic strain, leading to implications for health and disease” (Mullings, L. 2005). It’s not that a

woman’s race and social class is important but the level of their lifestyle can impact their risks of

future diseases. “The interaction of hierarchies of race, class and gender was evident in women’s

attempts to obtain and secure adequate income and benefits” (Mullings, L. 2005). The

importance of income can be crucial for a person’s health and well-being particularly for women.

Stating “level of education is lower for Blacks than Whites” (Mullings, L. 2005) and “Blacks

tend to have lower paying and low work positions” (Mullings, L. 2005). These specific

evidences and perspectives link inequality and the distribution of power based on cultural

differences on health because it shows how white supremacy would benefit from having the tools

to succeed and experience given opportunities. While women of color have a decreased chance

to excel in life and worrying how it can affect their health. This shows the concept of inequality

because women from ethnic groups such as in the African American community are portrayed to

being at low living standards, that is rarely thought of as successful. While the distribution of

power goes to the White population and the intimidation of how other ethnicities portray them to

having more rights and equal opportunities. Women should have the right for equal health care
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delivery and show improvements in health status and well-being based on their cultural

differences. Because every woman should have equal opportunities in life and not disregard a

person’s potential based on their skin color. Having this mindset of change would not only open

doors for minority groups to build success, but it can impact receiving health care insurance

coverage that can improve the needs of women and their families. This can improve the health

status of many minority groups if inequities can be fixed along with fairness within communities.

People learn new information on a daily basis that can test their interests and think about

how it can portray life. Learning about women’s health from different outlooks and perspectives,

presented opportunities to choose a side of the problem that needs to be addressed. What was

interesting after reading on the perspectives of women’s health was how minority groups are

underrepresented and thought of as people who only experience struggles. And they don’t have a

voice to speak up on issues that occur regarding their health. But if people pay attention and

notice what women of color go through in the healthcare system such as trauma and unfairness.

Then a window of opportunity can be available for women to be equal with one another and of

the opposite sex.

There is a reason behind what people stand for on a particular topic or issue, making their

stance effective to recognize. Stating in the article “Critical Intersections and Engagements:

Gender, Sexuality, Health, and Rights in Medical Anthropology” by Richard Parker “together

out values and our commitment to a set of moral, ethical and political principles provides

important contribution across areas of work” (Parker, R. 2012). Also stating in the article “to

develop a new set of horizontal collaborations between researchers across communities, cultures

and countries in ways that surpass current limitations” (Parker, R. 2012). This specific evidence

is important and plays a role in making the argument pertaining to equal rights to health care for
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women matter because people indeed want to make changes that fit the needs for different

demographics. And creating equality and access to health care for women of different ethnicities

and classes would not only contribute to improved health status but can also benefit future

generations of minorities guaranteed access and limited difficulties.

Being provided evidence about a particular issue affecting minorities, creates awareness

and builds connection to people in a deeper meaning. Based on the readings on women’s health,

getting the perspectives of different ethnicities and social class experiences in health care, has

generated personal perceptions. Being informed about the treatment of minorities especially for

women has made me a student to develop perspectives around this topic. This would tell us of

the importance women’s health is and there has to be increased opportunities. Based on the

mistreatment of women coming from different ethnicities in health care, creates the perceptions

of ruling out inequalities from minorities. This can give women such as in the Hispanic and

African American communities to thrive in their health and well-being if their experience in the

healthcare system has improved.

Hearing other people’s views and gaining more insight could potentially influence a

person’s original perspective. Having real evidence of women’s experiences of injustice and

inequality in the healthcare system, can make a person who disagrees to this issue to later agree

and fight for the rights of women especially those coming from minority groups. The sense of

guilt and understanding for these women’s stories can shine light on healthcare inequality, that

can leave an impact for ethnic groups. Standing up for women to have equal opportunities and

for their voices to be heard regarding their deliverance of health can be made based on people’s

perspectives to turn around.

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In conclusion presenting people’s experiences of health inequity based on their race and

class can create perceptions to important issues that need recognition. Projecting an argument for

women to have the right to equal health care delivery that can result in improved health and

justice in healthcare. Experiences of women’s health include being a topic that is in the shadows

that is greatly guarded by forces socially, culturally , economically and politically. Presenting

experiences based on historical conditions such as the force of sterilization affecting minority

women reproductive health, based on the power of white supremacy for the benefit of the

woman’s living situations. But would later disclose the sterilization to be mandatory for minority

women to have. Cultural differences would play a role as well such as a woman’s standard of

living including race, class, gender etc. Which resulted for the Black community to receive less

benefits than those of the white community in regards to jobs and housing. And experiencing this

inequity would potentially lead to future diseases or implication of health for the Black

community. Based on the evidence from the eyes of minority groups and women, points were

shown, knowing how much they are ignored from society and affecting their health and lifestyle.

This can indicate why women's equal right of health care has caused problems depicting a

woman’s race. And in favor to resolve this issue professionally that can benefit current and

future generations of women. As an examiner it allows the opportunity to have perspectives and

the right to agree for change to happen for these women. Coming from the feelings felt about this

issue, knowing that this is wrong for women to experience. Based on the evidence of inequities

and ways of life, the argument can be justifiable for change to occur for minority women. To be

equal and have the opportunity to improve their health. In the near future this issue of women’s

health will continue to be a debatable topic on a global scale. But people need to know that a

woman’s voice and standing up for what is right will not go unnoticed. No matter how much the
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government and the healthcare system are unwilling to resolve this issue. It is up to the people to

continue to fight for the rights of women and willingness to see them live a healthy and effective

lifestyle.

Bibliography

Inhorn, C.M (2006). Defining Women’s health: a dozen messages from more than 150

ethnographies. Medical Anathroplogy Quarterly. 20(3): 345-78. Retrieved from

https://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/921280/viewContent/9037125/View
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Ross, L. (2005). Reproductive Justice in the Twenty-first century. University of California Press.

58-116. Retrieved from

https://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/921280/viewContent/9031893/View

Mullings, L. (2005). Resistance and Resilience: the sojourner syndrome and the social context of

reproduction in central Harlem. Transforming Anthropology. 13: 79-91. Retrieved from

https://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/921280/viewContent/9031893/View

Parker, R. (2012). Critical Intersections and engagements: Gender, Sexuaity, Health and Rights

in Medical Anthropology. N/A. 206-237. Retrieved from

https://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/921280/viewContent/9037126/View