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Below you will find a copy of the main stories that
appeared in the March 2004 edition of the QWHN News. The topic for this
edition was "Why Women's Health?"
A PERENNIAL WEED? QUESTIONING WOMEN'S
HEALTH
By Dr Dorothy Broom
Some questions just never
go away. But more than thirty years after the first edition of
Our
Bodies, Ourselves,
perhaps it is not impertinent to ask again: why (still) women’s health? A
number of contributions to this issue of the Newsletter come from women
working directly in service provision or policy areas, and they speak from
their on-the-job experience. As an academic, I am a bit removed from the
action, and I lack the authority they have acquired from years of
practice. In any event, there would be no value in my reiterating what
they might say; instead, I offer a kind of political history of the
question itself. Who has raised it? What does it mean to ask this? What
kinds of answers have been generated, and what differences might our
answers make? Overall, this commentary aims more to elaborate the question
than to answer it, a task I am happy to leave to others, including all the
readers of this Newsletter!
For anyone who thinks the
question ‘Why Women’s Health?’ is novel, a review of events over the last
three decades should dispel that impression. The advent of the renascent
women’s movement in the late 1960s and early ‘70s quickly put women’s
health on the agenda, and that development became highly visible when
Australia’s first feminist women’s community health centre was launched in
Leichhardt on International Women’s Day 1974. The women who founded
Leichhardt effectively staked out the territory in their application for
initial funding. They assumed that the answer to the question was
compelling, an assumption that appeared to be confirmed by their quick
success in attracting funding from the Commonwealth Community Health
Program.
But a number of
dissenting voices were soon audible, coming from parts of the medical
profession and conservative lobby groups who opposed the kind of autonomy
– for both clients and workers – that the centre was striving to
establish. Opponents rightly forecast a revolution in reproductive
rights, an explosion of women’s health information assembled by and for
women, and a sea-change in women’s expectations of doctors and other
service providers. Indeed, those are exactly what the women’s health
movement was striving to achieve; the difference is that feminists define
such changes as progress, whereas some others were fearful of reproductive
rights and empowered consumers, especially women consumers!
Stimulated by
community-based initiatives, governments gradually began to take an active
role. A Victorian Women’s Health Policy Working Party published a brief
discussion paper titled
Why
Women’s Health?
in 1985 which canvassed issues that were already receiving the attention
of women in consciousness-raising and activist groups. The discussion
paper highlighted the social and economic foundations of health and
illness, ‘the second shift’ of unpaid household work (including unpaid
health care), the medicalisation of women’s lives, reproductive health
problems, sexual assault, and the over-prescription of minor
tranquillisers, among other concerns. These were understood to contribute
to women’s distinctive illness profile, and to signal deficiencies in
mainstream health services. Consequently, policies, programs and services
were needed that would improve women’s health not just through clinical
treatment but also by addressing the underlying conditions that eroded
women’s health.
When the political
climate was right, the issues moved onto the national political stage. As
had happened in Victoria, a similar array of questions and concerns was
raised in the consultations leading to the 1989 National Women’s Health
Policy. The Policy was the first of its kind in the world, and articulates
a set of principles that embed it in the social view of health and in
other national and international initiatives. To the surprise of some
(who had, perhaps, given little thought to the realities of women’s
lives), it identified violence, and occupational health and safety among
seven major women’s health issues, as well as more predictable concerns
such as reproductive health and sexuality, and emotional and mental
health. It also enumerated five action areas, including improving women’s
participation in health decisions at all levels from the personal to state
and national policy-making. Funding was never particularly bountiful, but
it gave a significant boost to voluntary labour and limited state-based
funding, enabling the expansion of women’s health centres and other
activities designed to implement the Policy. In addition, the National
Cervix Screening program and Breastscreen improved access to services for
early detection of women’s cancers, and the longitudinal Women’s Health
Australia survey began collecting data on three large cohorts of women in
1996.
Research and publishing
activity has blossomed in the decades, and there are now a number of
scholarly journals that specialise in women’s health, as well as a
significantly increased representation of articles on women’s health in a
range of other medical and social science periodicals. Feminist journals
include studies of health matters, and book publishers have apparently
seen both popular and academic sales potential in the topic. Medical
education is being broadened to include not only more on women, but
different content material, and novel ways of teaching that improve
student doctor’s interpersonal skills and social understanding as well as
their technical knowledge. It would seem that women’s health has become an
answer, not a question.
Yet after thirty years of
activity and advocacy, the question is still being asked: why women’s
health? But it can be engaged from (at least) two quite different
perspectives. On the one hand, we can ask why women’s
health? That is,
why should we focus on health rather than on some other priority such as
justice, employment, or childcare. In response, one could point out that
we actually want action on all those issues, not only on health; but that
well-being is fundamental to everything else in life. Furthermore, health
encompasses many aspects of women’s lives, not simply the diseases that
might be listed at hospital admission.
Additionally, the
question is still sometimes raised by people who are hostile or simply
ignorant of the work of the women’s health sector. They ask why
women’s health,
perhaps followed by an assertion that women have had more than our share
of the resources and now it is ‘men’s turn’. The suggestion – occasionally
explicit – is that men’s health is ‘actually’ worse than women’s, or even
that women or the women’s movement are somehow to blame for men’s health
problems. Although the wording is the same, this is a very different
question: one that requires an entirely different response. An adequate
answer to this question calls not for facts, figures and reports, but for
a deep healing of rifts, resentments and losses: a healing between women
and men, among women and within each woman herself. I wish I knew how
women can advance that healing without, in the process, relegating to
obscurity our own legitimate claims, giving up the precious and hard-won
gains of the late 20th century. Perhaps we need to keep constantly
re-asking and devising responses for both versions of our perennial
question.
Dorothy H. Broom, PhD, FASSA
Senior
Fellow, National Centre for Epidemiology & Population Health
The
Australian National University
CHILDREN BY CHOICE
Children by Choice
provide a good example of the necessity to retain specialist women’s
health services. Our service focuses on the needs of women who are
experiencing unplanned pregnancy, which (to state the obvious) is a health
issue particular to women. Though a woman may choose to involve her
partner, family or friends, the decision whether to continue an unplanned
pregnancy or terminate an unwanted pregnancy ultimately rests with her.
Clients who access our
service are looking for a women-centred and women-staffed organisation.
They find this approach less threatening in comparison to a mixed gender
environment, and are able to be more open and forthcoming in their
discussions with our counsellors.
Not all women
experiencing unplanned pregnancy require or seek our services. They may
have a supportive general practitioner (male or female) who is able to
provide the information and referral details that they are seeking.
However, unfortunately Children by Choice continue to receive complaints
from women about inappropriate handling of unplanned pregnancy by general
practitioners. Some general practitioners are judgmental and impose their
moral values on the situation, and/or may refuse to provide referrals for
all options, and/or pressure a woman to choose one option over another.
This experience can be extremely distressing for women.
At Children by Choice,
we regard the woman as an expert in her own life. We see our role as:
· -
Resourcing women
with up-to-date and accurate information to enable them to make an
informed decision;
- Providing counselling
services that assist and empower women to make their own decision around
unplanned pregnancy.
This role is crucial to
enable many women to deal with, and positively resolve, their experience
of unplanned pregnancy.
Children by Choice provide a Queensland-wide counselling, information and
education service on issues relating to unplanned pregnancy. Please call
on 07 3357 5377 or Freecall 1800 177 725 (outside Brisbane).
Cait
Calcutt, Coordinator, Children by Choice in Brisbane
WOMEN AND DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE: Issues Impacting on Women's Health and Well-Being
The experience of
domestic violence leaves many women with poor health outcomes. The health
issues most consistently reported by women are the effects of physical,
sexual and emotional/psychological abuse, all of which have a detrimental
effect on women’s health.
The consequences of the
violence extend well beyond the time women spend in the abusive
relationship. After leaving the violent relationship women talk about the
loss of ‘sense of self’ and of the struggle to achieve a state of good
mental and emotional health and well-being.
It is commonly
recognised that most victims of physical abuse do not report their
injuries to health professionals, because of threats and fear. Women are
conditioned by society to keep the abuse a secret, and often blame
themselves for the abuse. This attitude can be a barrier to seeking
effective health-care. Poor physical health can limit a woman’s capacity
to actively participate in day-to-day life, including parenting.
Sexual abuse may be
associated with physical abuse or threats of physical abuse to the woman
or her children. Sexual abuse can have on-going effects to women’s health.
They may suffer from guilt, shame, depression, anxiety, feelings of
worthlessness, fear of being alone and fear of men and sex. These health
issues associated with sexual abuse could develop into long-term mental
health problems such as major depression and substance abuse.
Verbal abuse too,
affects women emotionally and psychologically. It is the hidden kind of
violence, which doesn’t leave evidence comparable to the bruises of
physical abuse. It can be just as painful, and recovery can be difficult
because the woman may have lost self-esteem and confidence. Health
professionals need to be alert for indications of the effects of violence
even when it is not the presenting problem.
Domestic violence is a
major health issue which doesn’t discriminate, it crosses all boundaries.
It creates an on-going challenge to health systems, as well as individuals
and communities. A collaborative approach from health and welfare services
is vital in assisting victims to recover from the effects of living with
domestic violence. Clearly, networking, information sharing and
partnerships between different services, creates new possibilities for
social change.
Jennie Black and Leonie Johnson
North
Queensland Domestic Violence Resource Service
FOCUS ON WOMEN'S
EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
Fifteen years after the
handing down of the National Women’s Health Policy – Advancing Women’s
Health in Australia – there is still a particular need for women’s health
education. The seven priority health issues for women identified in this
document remain as issues for women and are addressed at varying levels
with various strategies by each of the Queensland Women’s Health Centres.
A focus for West
Moreton Women’s Health is women’s emotional and mental health and we are
developing various programs to address this issue. Two of these are our
rural program and a Group Oriented Interpersonal Therapy for Women With
Postpartum Depression.
A series of community
consultations held in September – October 2003 highlighted the social
isolation still being experienced by some women in the rural shires in the
West Moreton District. Rural Women’s Groups having both social and
education components were identified as an effective strategy to address
this isolation. With groups in two of the three rural shires having
ceased operation in the previous twelve months, our Rural Community
Development Worker concentrated on reinvigorating the profile of this
service in these communities and establishing new groups for women.
Information sessions addressing such issues as assertiveness and
communication, back care, use of natural medicines and reiki are being
offered and numbers in excess of 100 women across the three shires are
attending groups each month. In an effort to further unite rural women,
we are hosting an International Women’s Day lunch in Glamorganvale to be
attended by women across six rural groups.
Maternal mood and
maternal mood disorders in the postpartum period have a significant
influence on children’s development and long-term outcomes. This effect
is almost certainly mediated by the disturbance to the maternal-infant
attachment relationship as a result of depression or anxiety in the
mother. A review of a UK postnatal depression support group (2001)
identified the value of the group and indicated an average four point
improvement on the Edinburgh Post Natal Depression Scale. With very
limited services in the West Moreton District for women with mild to
moderate maternal mood disorders, West Moreton Women’s Health in
collaboration with Child Health Services have developed a group oriented
interpersonal therapy program for women. The group will commence in late
February and we look forward to the results which will be available in
June. The group is based on a program developed by Tresillian Family Care
and uses a relationship-focused and strengths based approach to therapy
grounded in a systems theory. The eight week therapy group will be
followed up by an ongoing support group – another lack within this
district for many years.
Cathy North, West Moreton Women’s Health, Ipswich
CANCER INFO ON LINE
Recent surveys show that
40 to 50 percent of patients access medical information via the internet
and that this information affects their choice of treatment. As well as
the ‘professional’ websites, patients access information on non-profit
breast cancer organisation’s websites (Internet and information on breast
cancer: an overview. E. Santoro.
Breast 2003; (12):
424 - 431).
One in three of
Australia’s five million regular net-users search for health information
online. Three quarters of these ask their doctors questions based on
information they have found online, according to a survey by AC Nielsen.
Internet use among females rose to 70 per cent in 2003, from 41 per cent
in 2000.
In recognition of the
growing role of the internet in providing information to both patients and
health practitioners the National Breast Cancer Centre launched its new
website portal in October 2003. The aim of the portal is to provide the
latest, evidence-based information on breast and ovarian cancer.
The portal contains the
following sites:
www.breasthealth.com.au
- the new consumer website of the National Breast Cancer Centre containing
comprehensive breast cancer information in a consumer-friendly format.
This website is a joint venture with the Macquarie Bank Foundation.
www.nbcc.org.au
– contains information about the organisation and its resources, programs
and services.
www.nbcc.org.au/bestpractice
- the National Breast Cancer Centre’s website for health professionals
involved in caring for women with breast cancer. It contains information
such as clinical guidelines, training information, conference details and
images.
www.myparentscancer.com.au
- a site for teenagers who have a parent with cancer. The site aims to
help families communicate about cancer by giving teenagers information and
advice when they need it, and by helping them understand the emotions they
may be experiencing. The site was developed in consultation with CanTeen
Australia.
www.breasthealth.com.au/boysdocry
- a dedicated section of the National Breast Cancer Centre’s consumer site
addresses the information needs for men on how to cope and offer better
support when a woman they love has breast cancer.
www.ovariancancer.com.au
- the website from the National Breast Cancer Centre’s Ovarian Cancer
Program. The site contains information about ovarian cancer for consumer
and health professionals.
For more
information on the NBCC’s e-communications, contact Lisa
Robinson, via email at lisa.robinson@nbcc.org.au
or phone (02) 9036 3053.
Source: Breastfax—A Bulletin of National Breast Cancer Centre
FACTORS AFFECTING
WOMEN'S HEALTH
Many factors - biological,
social, cultural, environmental and economic - influence women's health
status, their need for health services and their ability to access
appropriate services. In particular women's health needs stem from the
fact that:
· Women
are more socially disadvantaged than men in terms of poverty, education
and power. Socially disadvantaged people are more likely to become ill.
· Women
are more likely to use health services because of their role as carers of
children, older people, disabled people and the extra strain this places
on their health.
· Women
have particular sexual and reproductive health needs in pregnancy,
childbirth and menopause.
Due to gender inequality women
are treated differently than men both in society generally resulting for
example in violence against women and sexual assault and within the health
system where women complain that their health problems are not treated
seriously by health professionals or that they are inappropriately
prescribed tranquillisers.
Source: Women’s Health NSW website
www.whnsw.asn.au
TOWNSVILLE WOMEN'S
HEALTH SERVICE
The Women’s Health Service which is part of the service
delivery of the Women’s Centre, 50-52 Patrick Street Aitkenvale are
currently facilitating the following groups weekly:
· Women’s
Self Group
· Eating
Issues Support Group
· Older
Women’s Network
In addition to our weekly groups we are also involved in
this year’s International Women’s Day celebration March and Rally with the
theme, “Women of Strength, Surviving, Thriving, Challenging - That’s How
We Make a Difference”. The march will commence at 4.30pm from Anzac park
and progress along the Strand to Strand park where the rally will begin at
5.00pm. Our IWD Coordinator for 2004, Ms Karen Phillips has her finger on
the pulse of all activities and preparations are well under way.
On 10 March the Women’s Health Promotion Worker Penny
Jansen and Sexual Assault Counsellor Carol Olsen-Bull along with Jeanie
Brook, Dalrymple Shire Worker and Stephanie Whelan, Charter Data will be
facilitating a half day information and activity day on a range of issues
and topics for women at Ravenswood. Other such days are planned for
Pentland and Greenvale.
We are currently in the preparation stages to facilitate
workshops for women at the Townsville Correctional Centre in both
Residential and Secure on specific topics such as Menopause,
Contraception, Sexual health, Breast self-examination and International
Women’s Day.
For information, support and counselling on Women’s Health
issues contact the Women’s Centre at 50-52 Patrick Street, Aitkenvale or
phone on 4775 7555.
Penny Jansen, North
Queensland Combined Women’s Services, Townsville
EXPLORING THE
EXPERIENCES, BELIEFS AND VALUES OF LESBIANS
Marg Piggott is a student
at Swinburne University in Melbourne and is completing an honours degree
in psychology. She is currently completing research on the impact of
growing up as a woman and a lesbian in an homophobic and woman-devaluing
society.
“The purpose of the
research,” Marg explains, “is to highlight to health professionals that
our development as women and lesbians results in experiences that are
unique to us which can have an important impact upon our wellbeing.”
Marg is trying to obtain
information from as many lesbians in as many countries as possible and
would really appreciate it if you would complete a brief survey online.
The survey is anonymous
and open to all lesbians over the age of 18. It takes about 30 minutes to
complete. If you would like to know the results of the research, copies
will be available after the research is completed. If you would like to
help in attempting to improve health services to lesbians please contact
Senior Researcher, Dr. B. Findlay via email at
bfindlay@swin.edu.au or, Marg Piggott, also via email at
margpiggott@ozemail.com.au for information on being involved.
BEAUTY AND HEALTH
Dr Sheila Jeffreys is a
founding member of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, Australia.
She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at
the University of Melbourne where she teaches sexual politics, lesbian
politics and international feminist politics. She is the author of five
books on the history and politics of sexuality including
The
Idea of Prostitution
and
Unpacking Queer Politics,
2003. She is completing her sixth book:
Beauty and Misogyny: Harmful cultural practices in the west.
This book argues
that western beauty practices need to be understood in UN terms of harmful
cultural practices and these are defined as harmful to the health of women
and girls. She makes the following important points in regards to “Why
Women’s Health?”…
Women's health in
relation to prostitution: post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd), sexually
transmitted infections affecting fertility and problems with reproductive
system often for life. Also cuts and abrasions in sado-masochism
prostitution.
Effects of violence in
prostitution and outside prostitution on women's health mentally and
physically.
Women's health in
relation to beauty practices such as: Problems with mobility from high
heel and other unsuitable shoes which can lead to women's having great
difficulty walking in later life, especially if they have foot surgery to
prettify feet or undo the damage, bunions, hammer toes. Also knee problems
related to the shoes.
Problems relating to
cosmetics e.g. bse (Mad Cow Disease) in animal products and coal tar in
lipstick (women ingest 4 pounds weight of lipstick a year if worn daily
and it is pretty toxic).
Problems with cosmetic
surgery. Health damage from labiaplasty (getting more common), breast
implants and botox. Apparently the paralysis from botox can become
permanent.
Problems with shaving
hair off include painful bumps and in-grown hairs (apparently).
The health problems
related to piercing, cutting (in private and in 'studios') and tattooing
are well known.
There are other health
concerns relating to the sexual practices now required of women as result
of pornography. Problems of cuts and tears to body etc.
Problems for mental
wellbeing for women of having to see porn with partners or having to live
in a sexualised environment i.e ads, tv, magazines that portray women as
prostituted, pornographised.
BRISBANE WOMEN'S
HEALTH NETWORK
In response to a
recognised need to make the best use of available opportunities for women
in the metropolitan area of Brisbane, representatives from various
agencies formed the Brisbane Women’s Health Network (BWHN) with the
following aims: To share information about women’s health educational
opportunities available in the general community, to maximise women’s
access to health promotion activities, to avoid duplication of events, to
identify areas of collaboration. To assist with these outcomes, a website
for BWHN has been established and can be accessed via the Women’s Health
Queensland Wide (WHQW) website. This site can be found at
www.womhealth.org.au/BWHN.htm Meetings are held every second month at
Women’s Health Queensland Wide, situated at 165 Gregory Terrace, Spring
Hill. In addition to WHQW, current BWHN members include organisations
such as those representing cancer prevention and screening, fertility
control, a children’s and teenager’s service, alternative birthing, older
women, endometriosis, arthritis and osteoporosis and other State
Government women’s services.
BWHN members are interested in hearing from other organisational
representatives who would like to join the group, or to come along to
inform members of their services, or make suggestions for improving
services to women in the metropolitan area.
For
more information about the Network, please phone either Jan Roberts
on (07) 3636 1839, or Kathy Faulkner on (07) 3839 9962 from Monday to
Thursday.
"WHY WOMEN'S
HEALTH?""
We asked our members and
others to make comment on the question "Why Women's Health?" Following are
the responses we received:
“Women have gender specific conditions and disorders that deserve
recognition and attention in their own right. Women experience their
health issues and health care differently. Women frequently receive health
care services differently. There are very many instances in the literature
(and in medical practice) where men's perspectives are taken and promoted
as the norm and women's views are negated, dismissed or ignored. The
global and national health statistics on morbidity and mortality attest to
women's differential indices that deserve specific attention.
It
has been a long hard road over many decades for women's health to rise to
the surface of society's and health professions' consciousness, so we must
not allow it to fall back into the shadows.”
Professor Carol Morse, Adult Development & Ageing, Victorian University,
Melbourne
“Women, like myself, newly settled in isolated areas can be confronted
with all sorts of problems in relation to managing their own health. In
addition to geographic dislocation and all the stress that can cause,
there is also a lack of information and services available.
Luckily, some isolated communities have very dedicated women’s health
networks, but there will always be the perennial problem of a short fall
in specialist gynaecological and obstetric services available for isolated
women. This often leaves women in a precarious position in a time of
crisis. Networking and a focus on women’s health can only strengthen and
improve this situation.”
Sue
Fitzsimmons, Tieri
"Because we are awesome,
wondrous, vital individuals! It is our innate right to be healthy and to
express that health in any way we chose. The only limits we have are the
ones we impose on ourselves. Don’t settle for anything less than
optimum! It is not “normal” to have headaches or PMT or “growing pains”
or high blood pressure. Inside each one of us is that wisdom to know what
is naturally normal, naturally right! Learn to listen again!”
Dr Anne Jensen,
Chiropractor, Townsville
“In
Indigenous communities: Women are the ones who take the responsibility to
attend the health centres and clinics. When they attend they nearly always
have a child or children with them. Women are open to information and
education. When a woman attends for a well-women's check, the staff have
an opportunity to pick up early pregnancies detection and early antenatal
care, education and possibility of better neonatal outcomes, cervical
changes precursors to CA, early onset chronic disease path, early
management and intervention. Also, DV issues, infertility and STIs. These
last two bring the men into the equation with consultation re infertility
and contact tracing re STIs with men in community. Contact tracing for
STIs brings another set of women and so on it goes.”
Sandra
McElligott, Remote WH Educator, Alice Springs
“A
special focus on Women's Health is imperative because women often neglect
their own health and wellbeing to make sure their children get the medical
care they need. In areas where bulk-billing is no longer available and
families cannot afford to pay for visits to the doctor and buy medicines
on top of that, most mothers put aside their own health problems in favour
of their children.
The
special focus on women's health by Women's Health Centres enables women to
access medical information free.”
Beverley McEwen, Brisbane
“In
the remote areas of Australia, women are looked upon as the strength of
the family and the heartland. The old saying ‘she’ll be alright, she just
needs a good sleep’ is all too often heard. It is always the women who are
there to attend to the health needs of everyone, even the animals. But,
in such situations, nobody bothers to consider the special health needs of
women: exhaustion, isolation, depression and, in far too many cases,
physical injuries caused by domestic violence.
The
availability of specified Women’s Health Services in the remote areas are
few and far between. When the family attends remote health clinics and the
Royal Flying Doctor Service, time is of the essence, which usually results
in the mother not expressing her problems. She thinks, ‘I will leave it
till next time’, which usually never comes. The Government needs to
address this urgent issue by providing more specified Women’s Health
Services to rural, remote and isolated areas of our heartland.”
Sandy
Kelly, Coen – Cape York
“Yes,
a much needed focus indeed on the topic of Women’s Health. I speak in
particular of women in like services that offer counseling for women and
children affected by domestic and family violence. Thankfully, our
service’s Management Committee strongly supports management and staff by
encouraging a duty of self care as we approach 2004. Effective Team
Building, developing unity and support for and of each other is highly
recommended in our environment. It is therefore an essential ingredient,
that supports a team as well as valued clients. I wish all good health and
strength of spirit, as we endeavour to strive forth with enthusiasm amidst
our passions to assist all of our clients and our colleagues.”
Rikki
Kemp,The Domestic Violence Resource Service (Mackay & Region)
“A
comment made by my 17 year old niece recently made me realise the
importance of a strong focus on the health and wellbeing of women of all
ages. She told me that it is common knowledge these days that in any given
high school class, there will always be a couple of girls with eating
disorders. When I asked her what she, her friends or the teachers are
doing about this situation she informed me that they do nothing, they just
ignore it because they feel there is nothing they can do about it.
In
my opinion, this is totally unacceptable. A stronger focus on Women’s
Health issues would ensure that appropriate information and help was
available to these teenagers who, in my view, are screaming out for help.
Name
and Address Withheld
“Many
survivors of sexual abuse have spent years disconnecting from their
bodies; refusing to know their bodies and being ashamed of them as a
result of sexual violence. For these reasons they have not come to know
their bodies in the way health professionals urge - the concept of
'listening' to our bodies; knowing the terrain of our bodies, their rhythm
etc is not possible on various levels for those with violated and wounded
bodies. For many survivors, issues such as the breast examination; pap
smears; bowel and abdominal problems can go unchecked for years. Even
visiting a dentist and having one's mouth probed can be difficult. Health
campaigns and health focus on proactive medical health and preventative
measures that require women to 'know' their bodies is very, very difficult
for survivors.”
Dr.
S. Caroline Taylor, Post Doctoral Research Fellow, University of Ballarat
QWHN News - April/May 2003
QWHN News - September/October 2003
QWHN News - December/January
2003/04
QWHN News - August 2004
QWHN News - February 2005
* NEW *
QWHN News - June 2005
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