Woman life and health: arguing the problems of the reality with professionals of the care

• Published in: Online Brazilian journal of nursing Vol. 6; no. 2
• Main Authors: Guedes, Rebeca Nunes, Silva, Ana Tereza Medeiros Cavalcanti da, Coelho, Edméia de Almeida Cardoso
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Federal Fluminense, Escola de Enfermagem Aurora de Afonso Costa 01-08-2007
• Subjects: gender and health
• ISSN: 1676-4285; 1676-4285
• DOI: 10.17665/1676-4285.2007712

The relation between professionals and female users of health care is influenced by the way the involved individuals are inserted and interact in the social space they occupy, which makes the practice to be directed by gender relation as well. Assuming the consideration of the life of professional women and users may contribute to qualify women’s health care, a study was made aiming at offering a reflection and debate on the relation between women’s life and their need for health care and identifying convergent and divergent aspects between the demand for care which results from the experience of professionals and that of the women they care for. It is a qualitative study with gender as a theoretical reference. It was made between a multiprofessional female staff of a public health care setting. The production of empirical material was directed by a problematical methodology and reflection wokshop technique, the latter making experience exchange and collective knowledge building possible. The data were analyzed through the speech analysis technique that recognizes the most abstract, hematic level in the text, which makes it coherent by revealing the enunciator’s view of the world. The empirical material analysis showed that female health professionals present at times similar demands to those of the women they care for originated from their multiple functions and existing tension in private and public settings, which points out their need to be heard and have the conflicts related to gender decreased. Key words: woman’s health; women working; gender Identity; Gender and Health.