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Women and gynaecological cancer: Gender and the doctor–patient relationship

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-21, 04:03 authored by Eileen WillisEileen Willis, Debra King, Judith Dwyer, Jo Wainer, Kei Owada
This article presents evidence regarding aspects of the gendered nature of care women with gynaecological cancer receive from their (usually) male surgeons and oncologists in Australia. We argue that despite women’s general preference for female gynaecologists, those with a gynaecological cancer develop a strong therapeutic relationship with their male medical specialist, not extended to their (usually) female nurses and other allied health professionals. Given the highly sensitive and sexualized nature of gynaecological cancer, this requires explanation. These findings can be partly explained by examining the division of labour between nurses and doctors, specifically issues of control over this process and the development of specializations. The findings also bring into stark relief the way in which power and status differences can be used by medicine to create a positive therapeutic relationship with patients while simultaneously de-eroticizing the intimate procedures necessary in assisting women throughout their cancer treatment. Importantly, this relationship also has relevance for policy makers, particularly those concerned with the highly gendered division of labour of the medical specialty workforce in Australia.

Funding

Category 2 - Other Public Sector Grants Category

History

Volume

36

Issue

3

Start Page

509

End Page

519

Number of Pages

11

eISSN

1572-8749

ISSN

0167-7411

Publisher

Springer

Language

en

Peer Reviewed

  • Yes

Open Access

  • No

External Author Affiliations

University of Queensland; Monash University; Flinders University

Era Eligible

  • Yes

Journal

Topoi