Background: Women who are suffering in abusive relationships is a societal problem and a tragedy. A third of the women in the world have been exposed to physical and/or sexual violence and every year in Sweden seventeen women are killed as a result of domestic violence. Nurses in every part of the healthcare system encounter abused women. Aim: This study aimed to illuminate the experiences abused women have of their encounter with nurses. Method: A literature-based study based on analysis of eleven qualitative scientific studies. Results: The results revealed that abused women were afraid and worried about the consequences a revelation of the abuse would have on their life. The results showed that women experienced that nurses failed to see them as persons and did not take the time to talk to them. The women experienced that the nurses had a lack of understanding and empathy for their situation. When a woman had a relationship with a nurse that were based on trust, this enabled the woman to disclose the abuse. Conclusion: The women are experiencing a lot of fear. When the women meet nurses who lack empathy, are stressed and only focus their care on injuries, this becomes a barrier for the exposure of violence. When women meet nurses who possess understanding, a will to listen and to build trust, this becomes an enabling factor to the exposure of violence

Resumo: Mudanças sóciossexuais têm alterado o perfil das doenças sexualmente transmissíveis, ampliando a necessidade de seu rastreamento, especialmente onde existe concentração de pessoas ou grupos com comportamentos de risco, para que a detecção dessas doenças e seu tratamento imediato se traduzam na redução dos problemas causados. As profissionais do sexo apresentam a característica singular de manterem atividade sexual intensa, com vários coitos por dia, acrescida do uso de substâncias químicas locais e microtraumatismos vaginais, o que as deixa vulneráveis às doenças sexualmente transmissíveis. Identificar a prevalência de doenças sexualmente transmissíveis entre profissionais do sexo do município de Botucatu/SP e verificar a associação com variáveis sociodemográficas e comportamentais. Trata-se de estudo de prevalência populacional. Foram incluídas no estudo 102 profissionais do sexo, os dados foram colhidos durante o ano de 2008 e a propedêutica de atendimento das mulheres incluía a coleta de sangue, de conteúdo vaginal e de secreção cervical para detecção das seguintes doenças sexualmente transmissíveis: hepatite B; sífilis; aids; tricomoníase; infecção clamidiana, gonorreia e a presença de papilomavírus humano. A média de idade das participantes do estudo foi 26,1 anos, sendo que a maioria tinha nove ou mais anos de aprovação escolar (53,0%), era solteira (71,6%), usava contraceptivo (92,2%), negava história de doença sexualmente transmissível prévia (77,5%) e referiu a primeira relação sexual antes dos 15 anos (59,8%). A prática de sexo oral foi citada por 90,2% das mulheres e 37,3% delas referiram praticar sexo anal. Em relação às medidas de prevenção, 99% das profissionais do sexo relataram fazer uso do preservativo no trabalho e somente 26,3% das mulheres que tinham parceiro fixo relataram seu uso neste caso. O consumo de tabaco ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Socio-sexual changes have altered the profile of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and increased the need for their tracking, particularly in places where there is a concentration of individuals with a risk behavior, so that the detection of such diseases and their immediate treatment can be translated into the reduction of resulting problems. Sex professionals (SP) have the singular characteristic of maintaining intense sexual activity, with various intercourses per day, which is added to the use of topical chemical substances and vaginal microtrauma and makes them vulnerable to STD. To identify the prevalence of STD among SP the city of Botucatu/SP and evaluate the association with sociodemographic and behavioral variables. This is a population prevalence study. One hundred and two SP were included; data were collected in 2008, and the propedeutics of the women's care included the collection of blood, vaginal content and cervical secretion for detection of the following sexually transmitted diseases: hepatitis B; syphilis; AIDS; trichomoniasis; Chlamydia infection, gonorrhea and the presence of the human papillomavirus (HPV). The participants' mean age was 26.1 years. Most of them had attended school for nine years or longer (53.0%), were single (71,6%), used contraceptives (92.2%), denied having a history of previous STD (77.5%) and reported to have had their first sexual relationship before they were 15 years old (59.8%). Oral sex practice was mentioned by 90.2% of the women, and 37.3% of them reported to have anal sex. As regards prevention measures, 99% of the sex professionals reported to use condoms, and only 26.3% of the women who had a permanent partner reported its use in this case. The use of tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs was high: 68.6%, 84.3% and 42.2%, respectively. Oncotic cytology was normal for 95% of the women, since only five of ...(Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Orientador: Cristina Maria Garcia de Lima Parada / Coorientador: Márcia Guimarães da Silva / Banca: Maria Antonieta de Barros Leite Carvalhaes / Banca: Mauro Romero Leal Passos / No CD-Rom consta o nome de casada: Maíra Rodrigues Baldin Dal Pogetto / Mestre

Por mais de trinta anos, a República de Angola esteve envolvida em uma guerra civil que gerou um impacto negativo no desenvolvimento nacional, na saúde e nutrição da população, especialmente de crianças e mulheres. Especificamente com relação à saúde da mulher, devido à guerra civil e à agitação política nos últimos anos, a literatura dispõe de dados pouco precisos sobre a situação da saúde da mulher angolana; porém as fontes disponíveis demonstram que as taxas de mortalidade materna e de fecundidade são elevadas. Considerando o contexto sócio- político-econômico atual e a prática assistencial em saúde disponibilizada às mulheres angolanas, torna-se evidente a necessidade de se analisar historicamente as políticas públicas relacionadas a esta área de atuação, no sentido de fornecer subsídios para que profissionais de saúde compreendam a importância das diretrizes políticas que devem ser seguidas na assistência à mulher angolana. Objetivos: o objetivo geral deste estudo é descrever o panorama histórico das políticas públicas voltadas à saúde da mulher em Angola, considerando o contexto político e econômico desde 1975 até a atualidade. Os objetivos específicos são contextualizar historicamente o período de análise; identificar os documentos relacionados às políticas de saúde da mulher em Angola; analisar os documentos identificados utilizando os preceitos da análise documental. Método: Trata-se de pesquisa de perspectiva histórica, utilizando a análise documental e análise categorial de dados históricos oficiais provenientes do Ministério da Saúde (MINSA), Direção Nacional de Saúde Pública (DNSP) e de site oficial da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) no período de 1975 a 2012. Os documentos foram identificados, selecionados e obtidos durante o período de setembro a novembro de 2012, nos sites oficiais da OMS, UNICEF, e do Ministério da Saúde de Angola (MINSA) e alguns documentos foram solicitados diretamente à DNSP e MINSA, com o apoio do Instituto Superior de Enfermagem da Universidade Agostinho Neto. O corpus documental foi constituído de manuais, relatórios, boletim, leis e planos referentes à temática do estudo. Resultados: de acordo com a contextualização do período, a guerra prolongada impediu o desenvolvimento de um sistema de saúde adequado e, após a guerra, os investimentos voltados ao setor da saúde ainda não conseguiram estruturar uma rede de assistência que possa atender a toda a população. Com relação às políticas de saúde da mulher, destaca-se que estas se misturam com as políticas de saúde para a população, com investimentos suecos e de organismos internacionais que visavam a melhoria das condições de saúde da mulher e também da população em geral. As políticas e os acordos elaborados foram fortemente influenciados pela conjuntura mundial no período, apesar do aspecto cultural de desvalorização da mulher, tão presente no país. Houve uma grande dificuldade para a completa implementação das ações previstas, por inúmeros fatores, que vão desde as dificuldades geográficas e econômicas, até a adequada gestão política e financeira dos recursos. Considerações: evidencia-se que as necessidades de saúde das mulheres em Angola ainda não são completamente atendidas. Apesar dos esforços realizados durante o período, o desafio de Angola continua sendo a melhoria da prestação de cuidados de saúde, que engloba a saúde da mulher, e o aumento do acesso a serviços de qualidade a toda a população. A articulação inter-setorial também é necessária, pois pode potencializar as ações para a melhoria das condições de vida geral da população / For over thirty years the Republic of Angola was involved in a civil war that led to a negative impact on national development, in health and nutrition of the population, especially children and women. Specifically with regard to women\'s health, due to civil war and political unrest in recent years, the literature has little accurate data on the health situation of Angolan women; however the available sources demonstrate that rates of maternal mortality and fertility are high. Considering the current socio-economic-political context and assistance practice in health care available to Angolan women, it becomes evident the need to analyze historically public policies related to this area, in order to provide subsidies for health professionals understand the importance of the political guidelines that must be followed in assistance to Angolan woman. Objectives: The essential aim of this study is to describe the historical background of public policies for women\'s health in Angola, considering the political and economic context from 1975 to the present. The specific objectives are to contextualize historically the period of analysis, to identify the documents related to women\'s health policies in Angola; review the documents identified using the precepts of documentary analysis. Method: It\'s a survey of historical perspective, using documentary analysis and categorical analysis of official historical data from the Ministry of Health (MINSA), the National Public Health (DNSP) and the official website of the World Health Organization (WHO ) in the period between 1975-2012. The documents were identified, selected and collected during the period of September to November of 2012, at the official websites of WHO, UNICEF, and the Ministry of Health of Angola (MINSA) and some documents were requested directly to the DNSP and MoH, with support from the Higher Institute of Nursing, University Agostinho Neto. The documentary corpus consisted of manuals, reports, newsletter, laws and plans relating to the theme of the study. Results: According to the contextualization of the period, the prolonged war prevented the development of a proper health system and, after it, the investments directed to the health sector have failed to structure a support network that can meet the entire population\'s needs. Regarding to women\'s health policy, it is emphasized that these are mixed with health policies for the population, with Swedish and international organizations investments which aimed the improvement of the conditions of the women\'s health and also of the general population. The policies and agreements drafted were heavily influenced by the global conditions in the period, despite the cultural aspect of depreciation of women, strongly present in the country. There was a great difficulty for the complete implementation of the actions planned, for numerous factors, ranging from geographic and economic difficulties, to proper political and financial management of resources. Considerations: it is evident that the health needs of women in Angola haven\'t been completely met. Despite the efforts made during the period, the challenge of Angola remains being the improvement of health care provision, which includes women\'s health, and the enlargement of the access of quality services for the entire population. The intersectoral coordination is also necessary because it may increase the actions to improve the general living conditions of the population

Chatelaine, Canada’s longest running women’s magazine (1928-present), has seen various changes in relation to women’s presence in society, specifically women’s health and bodies. The purpose of this study is to investigate the framing methods employed in the presentation of health content in relation to the evolution of feminism throughout this publication’s existence. Drawing upon Michel Foucault’s (1979; 1980) investigation of power, the body, and sexuality; Susan Bordo’s (1993b) feminist theorizing on the cultural meanings of the female body; Erving Goffman’s (1974) Frame Analysis; and further theoretical foundations of frame analysis by scholars in media and communication studies, this thesis examines the ways which health knowledge in Chatelaine aids in the empowerment and modernization of women. The research design of this thesis employs a quantitative media content analysis and qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews to explore the presence and production of health content in this publication between 1928 and 2010. Findings demonstrate Chatelaine’s interaction with the feminist movement in Canada—as feminist initiatives and activism in Canada flourish, Chatelaine covers an increasingly broad and diverse body of health topics. The analyses reveal the sophistication in Chatelaine’s health content, which is evidenced in the employment of various journalistic techniques that aid in the development of an increasingly pervasive media text. In doing so, Chatelaine demonstrates its ability to empower women through current, clear, and concise health knowledge.

The forced displacement of over 100 ethnic minorities in Burma over the last few decades has negatively impacted the overall health of this population. The maternal mortality ratio along the Thailand-Burma border is one of the highest in the world and access to life saving reproductive health services and technologies is minimal. The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences of intra-uterine device (IUD) users living along the border while exploring the various influences that have shaped women’s reproductive experiences. Using qualitative methods, I found that differences in legal/minority status, culture, availability of services, health status, financial status, and education/awareness of family planning can determine women’s overall health in the region. The use of the IUD helped reduce the influence of these factors and provided women with reproductive autonomy; the contraceptive technology was greatly appreciated by users for its efficiency, its effectiveness, and its safety. The findings from this study suggest that the IUD can address significant reproductive health problems in the region and should be made more widely available along the Thailand-Burma border.

The increasing burden of chronic disease in ageing populations has shifted focus towards illness prevention and the self-management of health. Middle-aged and menopausal women’s transitioning bodies, specifically with respect to weight gain and changes in body fat composition, have received much attention by public health officials during the alleged obesity epidemic. In addition to these transformations, socioeconomic status has been shown to interact with obesity by decreasing the psychosocial health of vulnerable women. Although public health actions have targeted the health practices of clinically obese women throughout the menopausal transition, their effectiveness is limited because of existing socioeconomic inequalities, narrow focus on body weight interventions, and the psychosocial impact of an obesity stigma. Drawing on Bourdieu’s sociocultural theory of practice, and namely his concepts of body habitus and symbolic violence, this study aims: (a) to identify the norms and values of clinically overweight and obese postmenopausal women from contrasting socioeconomic backgrounds with regard to the ways they treat and care for their body, and (b) to outline the socio-cultural processes which incline them (or not) to pursue weight-loss strategies. Forty semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinically overweight and obese postmenopausal women from underprivileged (n=20) and middle class (n=20) milieus in the city of Sherbrooke, Québec. An intersectional (gender, age, socioeconomic status) thematic analysis was employed in order to analyze the data and identify emergent themes within and between both socioeconomic groups. This thesis is composed of two distinct studies. The first identifies the diverse contexts of occurrence of obesity stigma and weight shaming, as well as the contrasting responses between the two socioeconomic groups. Although all participants experienced obesity stigma, participants from lower social positions were more vulnerable to the psychosocial impact of dominant obesity discourses. In contrast, a higher access to social, economic, and educational resources provided middle-class women with more protection from weight shaming and discrimination. In the second article, from a public health perspective, the analysis of hierarchies of priorities, perception of control, as well as barriers and facilitators show that weight management needs to be understood as the outcome of a social process in which living conditions, material and psychosocial, offer a number of conditions of possibilities. Globally speaking, middle-class conditions privileged the adherence to public health recommendations, while socially deprived conditions inclined women to adopt unsustainable and risk-oriented weight-loss practices.

Orientador: Nelson Filice de Barros / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T16:32:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 FerreiraJunior_AntonioRodrigues_D.pdf: 6992884 bytes, checksum: 0fd90b68ebcc04571178f6d93bbb67da (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: As diversas modificações do cuidado prestado nos serviços de saúde à mulher têm exigido melhor preparo profissional e das instituições que as atendem. Isso propicia o surgimento de rumos alternativos ao atendimento convencional, possibilitando maior visibilidade de mulheres como as doulas, que prestam constante apoio à parturiente e seu acompanhante, promovendo variadas técnicas de relaxamento, respiração, massagens para minoração da dor, orientação acerca das posições mais confortáveis durante as contrações, além de prover encorajamento e tranquilidade durante o parto. Neste contexto foi realizado um estudo com objetivo de compreender o processo de formação e profissionalização das doulas no Brasil. Os resultados encontram-se disponibilizados em quatro capítulos (artigos e capítulos de livro). O primeiro aborda metassíntese com evidências qualitativas sobre o acompanhamento por doulas no trabalho de parto e no parto. O segundo discute a normatização da Rede Cegonha. O terceiro denota o papel da doula na assistência ao parto e nascimento. O quarto apresenta motivos para formação e atuação profissional das doulas. Com o desenvolvimento da pesquisa foi possível: a) demonstrar evidências positivas para o trabalho da doula (capítulo 1); b)apresentar a necessidade de divulgação e discussão sobre as propostas da rede cegonha(capítulo 2); c) explicitar as facilidades e dificuldades encontradas pelas doulas para o desenvolvimento de seus trabalhos (capítulo 3); d) apresentar os motivos para mulheres buscarem formação para doula, bem como a importância do grupo de referência para sua atuação profissional (capítulo 4). Os estudos sobre doulas precisam ser aprofundados, considerando o desenvolvimento desta ocupação no Brasil. Atentar para a formação destas mulheres pode impulsionar mudanças positivas para qualificar a atenção ao parto e nascimento em todas as regiões brasileiras / Abstract: The various modifications occurring in the care provided by health services to women have demanded better training of the professionals and institutions which attend them. This gives rise to alternatives for the conventional treatments, enabling greater visibility of women such as the "doulas", who provide continuous support to laboring women and their companions, promoting various techniques of relaxation, breathing, massage for the alleviation of pain, guidance on the most comfortable positions during contractions, besides providing encouragement and quietness throughout the period of parturition. In this context a detailed study was carried on in order to understand the overall process of training and action of doulas in Brazil. The research results were available in this thesis in four chapters (articles and book chapters). The first deals metasynthesis with Qualitative evidence of monitoring by doulas during labor and childbirth. The second discusses the standardization of Stork Network. The third denotes the role of doula in childbirth and birth. Fourth features reasons for training and professional performance about doulas. With the development of the research was possible : a) demonstrate positive evidence for the work of doula (Chapter 1 ) ; ) present the need for dissemination and discussion of the proposals Stork network ( Chapter 2 ) ; c ) explain the advantages and difficulties encountered by doulas for the development of their work ( Chapter 3); d ) submit the reasons for women to seek training for doula, and the importance of the reference group for their professional activities (Chapter 4). Studies on doulas need to be deepened, considering this occupation development in Brazil. Pay attention to the training of these women can boost positive changes to qualify the care of childbirth and birth in all as Brazilian regions / Doutorado / Ciências Sociais em Saúde / Doutor em Saude Coletiva

Approximately 80% of reproductive age women experience physical or emotional symptoms prior to onset of menses. Of these women, approximately 20% experience symptoms severe enough to interfere with social functioning and life activities and meet criteria for premenstrual syndrome (PMS). More than 100 different symptoms are associated with PMS, the most common of which include breast tenderness, headache, anger, and depression. Symptom groupings tend to be stable within an individual but can vary distinctly between women. Potential differences in the etiology of symptoms suggest that PMS should not be considered a single condition in research or clinical studies, but rather may represent distinct entities that group by symptom patterns. The primary goal of this study was to identify symptom patterns using factor and cluster analysis. Analysis included: 1) a cohort of healthy women aged 18-30 (n =414); and 2) the subgroup of women meeting established criteria for PMS (n=80). All participants provided information on the occurrence and severity of 26 menstrual symptoms by validated questionnaire. Four distinct symptom patterns emerged: Emotional, Psychological, Physical, and Consumption. Cronbach’s alpha levels demonstrating reliability were high in both the total population (0.71 – 0.90) and in the PMS subset (0.69-0.80). Additionally, cluster analysis identified 4 clusters in both the total population and PMS subset. These symptom patterns were consistent with those identified in prior studies in diverse populations. These observations suggest that distinct subtypes of PMS may exist, and should be considered when recommending treatments and evaluating risk factors.

The human vagina is unlike that of any closely related phylogenetic species due to the abundance of a lactic acid producing bacteria, known as Lactobacillus. This microbial species is known for its direct and indirect contributions to vaginal pathogenic defense, some of which include the elicitation of host immunomodulators, release of bacteriocins and biosurfactants, and lowering of vaginal pH. While Lactobacillus is often considered the hallmark of a healthy human vagina, a significant number of women worldwide lack its abundance in their vaginal microbial communities. The lack of Lactobacillus- dominance does not necessarily equate to a disease-state but could potentially explain an increased risk of viral transmission and recurrent vaginal dysbiosis in these women. This thesis aims to investigate the numerous antimicrobial properties associated with the Lactobacillus species to better understand its significance for female reproductive and vaginal health.

Female infertility is a prevalent global health concern. Social class has been examined in relation to interpretations of formal infertility diagnoses. However, this study sought to investigate subjective self-definitions of infertility experiences. This study compared reported length of time trying to conceive and self-perceptions of infertility status, which created four groups: women who met the medical definition of infertility and considered themselves to be experiencing infertility, women who met the medical definition and did not consider themselves to be experiencing infertility, women who did not meet the medical definition but did consider themselves to be experiencing infertility, and women who did not meet the medical definition of infertility and did not consider themselves to be experiencing infertility. We were interested in examining subjective socioeconomic status as a predictor of group membership, operating on the idea that women who perceive themselves as lower SES might be less likely to acknowledge a subjective infertility status due to more limited resources for treatment. Female participants (N = 1233) were recruited from the social networking site Reddit to complete online self-report surveys created via the REDCap survey platform. A subset of female participants (n = 548) who reported they were currently trying to conceive was utilized for this study’s sample. A chi-square test of independence was conducted to examine the relationship between reported length of time trying to conceive and self-perceptions of infertility status. Results indicated a significant association between these variables, χ2 (1, N = 594) = 239.08, p < .001, indicating that women’s self-perception of whether or not they were experiencing infertility was largely in line with the medical definition of infertility. We intended to conduct logistic regression analysis to examine subjective socioeconomic status as a predictor of group membership, specifically for women who met the medical definition of infertility but did not perceive themselves as experiencing infertility. However, logistic regression was not performed due to a lack of statistical power for this group (n = 14). Future research should expand upon this rationale to inclusively investigate factors contributing to self-identification of infertility experiences. Understanding the role of psychosocial factors involved in infertility status perceptions could facilitate specific interventions to promote infertility treatment-seeking behaviors.