Conversations about femininity and gender identity during palliative therapy.

Abstract

Hospices are the last place of medical care for most patients before their death. Female patients who have taken part in palliative therapy have reported feeling that their femininity was 'taken away' from them by their illness, which in turn negatively impacted their mood. This study determines how conversations about the appearance of patients can impact behaviour and wellbeing. The individual in-depth interview (IDI) method was used, which involved individual researcher meetings with respondent patients. The interviews dealt primarily with issues concerning the construction and maintenance of femininity. A total of 26 women in stationary long-term care were interviewed. The research showed that patients were aware of what they perceived as negative changes in their appearance and had a strong desire to negate such effects. Despite poor health conditions and contrary to the routines used in hospices, the maintaining of a feeling of femininity remains a basic need of patients, as it strengthens control over their situation, helps with preserve their gender identity and positively impacts their physical and mental state, and improves their overall wellbeing.