Women In Health Centers Research Articles

Transgendering women's space: A feminist analysis of perspectives from Australian women's services

Synopsis This article explores the social and political implications of transgenderism for women's groups and organisations. One aim of transgender support groups such as, The Gender Centre Inc. and others, is the right of male to female transgenders (MTFs) to enter what were previously understood to be women-only spaces such as women's health centres, domestic violence shelters, and rape crisis centres. MTFs whether pre or post-operative, claim the right to enter these spaces as both clients and workers. In-depth interviews were conducted with managers of gendered spaces and a small number of workers. Discussions centred around their values and policies about gendered spaces and the advantages and disadvantages of having women-only spaces, as well as their experience of trans-inclusion when it had occurred and the impact on staff and clients of inclusion. The majority of interviewees supported women-only space and employed only female staff in their centres. Their policy and practices around the employment of MTFs, or accepting MTFs as clients, depended on whether or not they considered MTFs to be women, a point upon which there was significant disagreement. Those who believed MTFs to be women supported their inclusion. Those who did not consider MTFs to be women felt that their presence would compromise women's feelings of safety and threaten not only the very existence of women-only spaces, but also they services they provide.

Acceptability of human papillomavirus vaccination among Chinese women: concerns and implications

To explore Chinese women's perceptions of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and their intention to be vaccinated. A cross-sectional community-based survey study. Thirteen community women's health centres of The Family Planning Association of Hong Kong. A total of 1450 ethnic Chinese women aged 18 or above who attended the health centres. Participants completed a written consent and an anonymous questionnaire onsite. Knowledge and beliefs about HPV and HPV vaccination against cervical cancer and participants' own intention to be vaccinated. About 38% of the participants (n = 527) had heard of HPV and 50% (n = 697) had heard of vaccination against cervical cancer. HPV infection was perceived to be stigmatising and detrimental to intimate, family and social relationships. Despite misconceptions and a grossly inadequate knowledge about HPV and HPV vaccination, 88% of the participants (n = 1219) indicated that they would likely be vaccinated. Majority of the participants believed that sexually experienced women should be vaccinated, while 27% opposed vaccinating sexually naive women. Younger age women who perceived a disruptive impact of HPV infection on intimate relationship and their partners' approval were significantly associated with a positive intention to be HPV vaccinated. The easy acceptability of HPV vaccination among the mostly sexually experienced Chinese participants and their knowledge deficit on the subject may implicate potential misuse of the vaccines and a false sense of security against cervical cancer. There is a dire need for culturally sensitive and tailored education for the public, women of different ages and their partners about HPV and HPV vaccination. Emphasis must be placed on the prophylactic nature of the current vaccines, the uncertain effects when given to sexually experienced women, the importance of adolescent vaccination and the need for continued cervical screening whether vaccinated or not.

Stress, psychological distress, psychosocial factors, menopause symptoms and physical health in women

Objectives Relatively few studies have evaluated relationships between stress, psychological distress, psychosocial factors and menopause symptoms, and none have evaluated emotional intelligence (EI) in relation to menopause. In this study, direct and indirect relationships were evaluated between stress, psychological distress, psychosocial factors (e.g. social support, coping, EI), menopause symptom severity and physical health in middle-aged women. Methods One hundred and sixteen women aged 45–55 years were recruited through women's health centres and community organizations. They completed a short questionnaire asking about stress, psychological distress (i.e. anxiety, depression), EI, attitude to menopause, menopause symptoms and physical health. Results Low emotional intelligence was found to be related to worse menopause symptoms and physical health, and these associations were partly mediated by high stress, anxiety and depression, a negative attitude to menopause and low proactive coping. Conclusions Women with high EI appear to hold more positive attitudes to menopause and experience less severe stress, psychological distress and menopause symptoms and better physical health. These results suggest that women who expect menopause to be a negative experience or are highly stressed or distressed may be more likely to experience a more negative menopause.

FEMINISM AND THE CHANGING STATE

FEMINISM AND THE CHANGING STATE

Women's Health Resources: Facilitating a Community of Care for Midlife Women

Since 1981 research has explored the role of women's health centres in providing health information and education to women in a non-traditional setting. These settings have been designed to provide more appropriate, and often more comprehensive, care by responding to the specific health issues and needs of women across the age continuum. The type of care and resources provided by these centres make a significant contribution to women's capacity for participation in decisions and action around their own, health. This article examines the service delivery and perceived roles of one such centre, the Women's Health Resources (WHR) centre in Calgary, Canada. Data for this paper were extracted from WHR evaluation forms for 199 midlife women seeking individual consultation, as well as personal interviews that were conducted with four female staff members. Clients of the WHR cited numerous reasons for seeking service at the centre, the most common being for emotional health care, nutritional consultation or more comprehensive information on a specific illness. Three major components of service provision at the centre were identified: information, psychological care and complementarity of services. Women used the information they gained from WHR services to aid in health decision-making and as a resource for empowerment in being partners in their own health. Clients noted that the WHR was a valuable source of additional information beyond what their own family physician and/or specialist were able to provide. The feminist and woman-centred care at WHR, in conjunction with the emphasis on education, offers an invaluable source of information and services for women. Through the shared experiences of both the clients and staff of this centre, this article provides an outline of how such services are perceived and utilized.

Different for girls? Feminism, health information and librarianship.

This paper focuses on the provision and organization of health information materials in women's health centres in UK and Ireland in the late 20th century Such centres sprung from the work of feminist activists and health workers from the late 1960s onwards, promoting health information and other interventions to counteract women's devalued status within society, and the stereotypes perpetuated by health care and other systems. Centres that developed were (and still are) typically within the voluntary sector, have a strong feminist perspective and are run by lay workers. This paper will draw on research into information provision in these centres, its scope, organization and who provides it. It will argue that this work is of interest to mainstream librarianship, but there are minimal linkages as feminist thinking within librarianship has been unable overall to make common cause with the work of these, and other such agencies, which has inhibited potential developments of mutual benefit. This paper draws on ongoing research into feminism and librarianship, and findings that have been presented in a number of settings.

The power of place: space and time in women's and community health centres in South Australia

This paper focuses on the importance of time and space in an Australian medical setting. It draws on research findings from a one year project that aimed to explore community perspectives of, and experiences of medical services in three South Australian women's and community health centres. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis were used in order to address these objectives. A significant finding was the way in which participants described the organisation and experience of time and space in these centres and how this impacted on their health and well being and that of the community. In analysing these spatio-temporal dimensions and the underlying philosophical structures of women's and community health centres, this paper argues that experiences associated with space and time have a positive effect on health status by: diminishing barriers to health services, improving quality of care, increasing community participation, providing safe places for social interaction and strengthening people's sense of belonging or attachment to a particular community and place. Based on these findings, the authors conclude that the spatio-temporal dimensions of health care provision have empowering and positive impacts on a community's health, a significant finding that has implications for the maintenance and future funding of this style of health service.

The Contributions of the Australian Government in Meeting the Health Needs of Queensland Women with Physical Disabilities

This article overviews the Australian federal and state government disability strategies, as well as the Women's Health Centres' contributions, in meeting the health needs of Queensland women with physical disabilities. It also explores one of the least considered intersections of multiple identity discourses—feminism and disability studies and argues that access to health and related services is an equity issue that must be addressed in particular ways for women with physical disabilities. In fact, it elaborates how our women's health services still largely continue to see the needs of women with disabilities as too narrow for their attention and our disability services continue to see their clients as ungendered and untouched by sociopolitical constructions of gender.

By Women, for Women: The Continuing Appeal of Women's Health Centres

SUMMARY During the 1970s and '80s, several dozen women's health centres (WHCs) were established in Australia. Most of these centres are government-funded feminist community health facilities run by women, for women. With other women's health initiatives, WHCs are subject to financial and political pressure. This paper draws on data from a study of nearly 400 women clients of women's health and generalist community health centres to examine the continuing appeal of WHCs in the increasingly conservative political environment of the late 1990s. I explore such questions as: Does Australia still need WHCs? Do they offer anything that cannot be obtained elsewhere, and if so, what? This discussion focuses particularly on women's comments about the centre where they were interviewed and their views–both positive and negative-about WHCs more generally. The appeal of WHCs appears to be based on several qualities and resources: best-practice in certain clinical domains; sympathetic care for clients who find it difficult to obtain good care elsewhere; time for complex or distressing health problems; both general and specific health information; sociability and empowerment through participation in groups; and opportunities for active health development. In some cases, a woman private practitioner might supply an alternative to a WHC. Other valued elements are probably results of the fact that these are publicly funded community health agencies with salaried staff and similar qualities might be found in a mixed-sex community health facility. But only women's health centres combine the two, and embed them in a feminist philosophy and analysis of women's health and health care. In addition, WHCs' influence on the mainstream may benefit many more women than those who go to a centre. WHCs serve as models, innovate and collaborate with mainstream agencies, train service providers, and develop information and educational resources. These twin aims of supplying gender-specific services and enriching the mainstream continue to guide the work of WHCs.

The best medicine: women using community health centres.

In an environment of scarce resources and competition for the health dollar, there is considerable pressure to close facilities viewed as specialist or to amalgamate them into the mainstream. Women's health services are presently among services subject to cuts and amalgamation, often on the assumption that they duplicate services available from private general practitioners. Another widespread belief is that women's health centres attract a small, elite clientele of 'worried well' feminist extremists. This study examined such assumptions, using questionnaire data collected from 388 women attending women's health centres (62 per cent) and mixed-sex community health centres (38 per cent). Findings showed that these clients of all community health facilities were disadvantaged compared with the population overall. When clients of women's health centres and community health centres were compared, the client profiles were either much alike or women's health centre clients were even more disadvantaged, challenging the stereotype of these centres being used only by a privileged elite. Instead, it appears that the centres offer a distinctive array of services to a socioeconomically vulnerable clientele, not a substitute for care available elsewhere.

Big goals, small steps: The early history of a women's health centre in Ontario, Canada

In the late 1980s three hospital-based women's health centres were funded by the provincial government of Ontario, largely in response to a feministlobby to support public abortion services, improve the quality of women's health services generally, and increase women's participation in their own health care. This paperpresents a history ofthe first two years of the Peterborough Women's Health Care Centre (WHCC), the services it offers — abortion services, breastfeeding support, counselling, youth phone line, women's health day, antenatal ultrasound and colposcopysupport, resource centre — and its links with women and organisations in the community. It reviews the Centre's achievements in light of the feminist principles upon which it was founded. In spite ofinherentlimitations of working within the medical system and being based in a hospital, important improvements were made in local services for women. This paper offers a qualitative understanding of what is involved in this process.

Women refugees in Bangladesh

Oxfam has been providing water to women refugee camps in Bangladesh. Male officials run the camps, for women fleeing Burma. These men target women and children for 'voluntary' repatriation. Families are separated and sexual abuse is rife. Oxfam, in contrast, is successfully integrating gender equality into its water programme, made easier because Oxfam staff live in the camp, unlike staff in other NGOs. Female engineers and health educators have set up tap stands, women's health centres, and children's health education centres. Women are becoming empowered as they make and implement decisions in the camp, in spite of opposition by officials. This article is hosted by our co-publisher Taylor & Francis. For the full table of contents for this and previous issues of this journal, please visit the Gender and Development website.

Family planning practices among Lebanese, Turkish and Vietnamese women in Sydney.

This paper is based on some of the data collected in a fertility and family planning survey conducted in 1988 among a probability sample of 980 married immigrant women in Sydney. The sample consisted of 507 Lebanese, 250 Turkish and 223 Vietnamese women. This study has revealed differences within and between the 3 migrant groups and the general population. Fertility among the 3 groups, but particularly among the Lebanese, was relatively high. While most women understood about birth control, there was a heavy reliance on traditional methods. Incidence of sterilization and hysterectomy was low compared to the general population. Use of abortions as a method of birth control was quite common among the Turkish women. Most women relied on their doctors for contraceptive advice and there was little knowledge and even less use of family planning and women's health centres. The study revealed an unmet need for culturally sensitive family planning information and services to these women.

Breast cancer screening practices among users of county-funded health centers vs women in the entire community.

Breast cancer screening rates tend to be lower among women with lower income and/or education. Telephone surveys of random samples of women aged 50 to 75 who had visited five health centers (n = 795) and women in the same age group residing in the entire community (n = 404) were conducted in 1988. Despite the significantly lower socioeconomic level, a higher proportion of minority women, and a poorer knowledge of mammography, screening rates in the health center group were not lower than in the community sample. About half or more of the health center respondents had ever had a mammogram regardless of income, education, age, and ethnic group. Of the community respondents, 49% had ever had a mammogram, but the proportion varied significantly by income and education. Within the subgroup of women having annual incomes below $15,000, mammography use was actually higher among health center women; that is, 50% of health center vs 35% of community women reported ever having a mammogram and 31% vs 14%, respectively, reported having a mammogram in the past year. The findings demonstrate the importance of publicly funded health centers in achieving screening rates among the socioeconomically disadvantaged that are comparable to (or even higher than) those in the general population.

Doing it for ourselves: Australian women's health centres

Doing it for ourselves: Australian women's health centres