Medicalized Women's Health

Women’s health over the course of history has become extremely medicalized. Natural bodily functions and processes are no exception to this phenomena of medicalization. “medical constructions… especially in regard to reproductive issues such as birth control and childbirth” (p. 20 Clarke) Women have taken part in childbearing practise since the beginning of time. None the less, enhancements of medical interventions during pregnancy and childbirth have improved health outcomes for mother and child, as well as helped in the decline of mortality rates due to childbirth. On the flip side though has birth become over medicalized? Are medical interventions being intervened even in unnecessary circumstances? Are women becoming disconnected with …show more content…
In society women are deemed as less powerful in many perspectives, and Fox argues that labour is one of those authentic empowering experiences that women can actually experience in their lifeitme. However, “medical professionals control the birth process in Western Society… alienates the women from a potentially empowering experience” (p. 327 - 328 Fox) Prudy takes a similar path but rather than taking away experiences Prudy argues about the control men have over women. “natural and normal biological processes of experiences to be conquered by men… latest effort to control all aspects of women’s lives ( p. 251 Prudy) Not only are women being detached from a natural empowering experience but the medical field is a male dominated area and childbirth is just another medicalized producer that men have taken over. Women are being directed and influenced in a way that their voices are being muted when it comes to their birth …show more content…
The most common and known alternative birthing assistants are midwives. Midwives have been around for hundreds of years, midwives “tend not to use artificial or mechanical means… birth is fundamentally a natural event” (p.324 Clarke). Although midwives have been present throughout history, once hospitals became more popular and the science of childbirth become more public, Physicians started to take over the birthing procedures. Doctors argued that “midwives did not have necessary training” (p. 325 Clarke) Today in the twenty first century midwives go through extensive training and it is now licensed profession. However, the notions around childbirth have come across as scary, dangerous and seem to have this warning label attached to it. Which in turn directs women to conform to the social norms of hospital births because society says it is what’s best and ti is the socially correct route to