Medicalization is a process that is not medical but is interpreted as being medical, and in need of medical management. Giving birth at home, with the use of midwife has been medicalized. Medicalization of pregnancy and birth is the act of treating reproduction as a medical issue. Before medicalization, birth and pregnancy was viewed as a human power. Being pregnant and giving birth were one of the most natural acts of human kind, but medicalization of these have placed non-risky pregnancies under risk as well. Use of advanced technology and exposure to medical procedures place healthy pregnancies in danger of developing problems that did not exist initially. From the early stages of the pregnancy, the pregnant mother is encouraged to participate in a variety of exams. As the pregnancy, progresses so do the number of tests. For the purpose of this paper, ultrasounds, prenatal genetic testing, Caesarian sections etc. will be categorized under tests and procedures. This paper will examine the work of authors: PJ McGann and Peter Conrad (2007), Jessica Shaw (2013), and Marsden Wagner (2010). McGann and Conrad explore how the medicalization of events such as birth and pregnancy can be beneficial for practitioners. This helps to explain their investment in the matter and use of medicalized procedures. Shaw elaborates on the strengths of medicalization, the positive effect of using ultrasounds because they help develop a relationship between parents and the fetus in the early stages of pregnancy. Whereas, Wagner argues the negligence on the obstetricians part to deal with pregnancies according to their unique needs. This article studies the negative effect of medicalization that encourages in handling all pregnancies in a medical manne...
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... parents and the fetus. However, this does not take attention away from the harms of treating childbirth and pregnancies as medical conditions, when in fact they are not.
Works Cited
• McGann, PJ and Peter Conrad. “ Deviance, Medicalization of.” Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. Ritzer, George (ed). Blackwell Publishing, 2007. Blackwell Reference Online.
• Shaw, Jessica C.A ( 2013) “ The Medicalization of Birth and Midwifery as Resistance.” Health Care for Women International 34: 522-535.
• Wagner, Marsden (2010) Born in the USA. Ch. 3, “Choose and Lose: Promoting Caesarean Section and Other Invasive Interventions”: 37-69
• Taylor, Janelle (2008) Ch.3, “Obstetrical Ultrasound between Medical Practice and Public Culture,” The Public Life of the Fetal Sonogram: Technology, Consumption, and the Politics of Reproduction ( New Brunswick, N.J.:Rutgers UP): 52-76.
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The debate concerning abortion still exists and is causing a lot of controversy. One of the biggest is an issue concerning mother’s who are experiencing health compilations during p...
In the second decade of the twentieth century, the U.S. birth control movement became an important topic among Americans. It was at this time that Margaret Sanger, the eventual founder of Planned Parenthood, became involved in the radical movement for voluntary motherhood and the distribution of contraceptives (Hartmann). As a nurse she assisted poor women in giving birth, and saw the effect of having too many children on the welfare of these women. She also saw the suffering, pain, and death of many women who obtained unsafe, backdoor abortions to escape having more children (Shaw, Lee).
Each year, an estimated 529 000 maternal deaths occur. This number comes from calculations for the year 2000, the most recent date for such crude data (Zahr & Wardlaw, 2004). And while many women report holding the newborn in their arms for the first time, forgetting the frustrations of pregnancy and considering the hardships worthwhile, the fact remains: pregnancy remains one of the most risky and unpleasant things a women can expect to
Pairman,S., Tracy, S., Thorogood, C., & Pincombe, J. (2013). Theoretical frameworks for midwifery practice. Midwifery: Preparation for practice.(2nd ed, pp. 313-336). Chatswood, N.S.W. : Elsevier Australia
Abortion once only discussed in the privacy of your own homes, behind closed doors or in secrecy has been brought to the forefront and has become an open forum for government officials, pro-life and pro-choice organizations. The topic of abortion in America has become very high strung among various religious groups and pro-life organizations protesting against abortion, questioning the fourteenth amendment and the idea of personhood. The fourteenth amendment states that "...neither the U.S. nor any state shall deny a citizen life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness..." Yet, the most controversial issue of the abortion debate is whether or not the fetus is seen as a person. If the fetus is seen as a “person/citizen” then they are entitled to individual inalienable rights given to us and bound by the Constitution. Furthermore, if the court recognizes that the fetus is in fact a person/citizen then their inalienable constitutional rights have to be addressed. When deciphering between the legality abortion and the rights of the fetal citizen, what is the responsibility of the physicians and clinics to deter abortions; and should physicians be required to provide 4-D ultrasounds to their patients electing voluntary abortions? The answer to these questions are simple, abortion clinics and physicians need to be required to provide 4-D ultrasounds to patients electing voluntary termination to deter abortions. In this paper, I will define personhood, the fourteenth amendment and it relationship to abortion, as well as, the requirements of clinics and physicians offering abortion. Hopefully, by the end of this paper you will understand what personhood is and what it means personally to me, as well as understand the new age arm’s reach ...
Chances are that terms such as “midwife” and “home birth” conjure up for you old-fashioned images of childbirth. These words may bring to mind scenes from old movies, but you’re not likely to associate them with the modern image of childbirth. Do you know anyone who has had a midwife-assisted birth or a home birth? Would you consider one?
The articles purpose is to use legal sources to explore the decision to abort while the state, and the professions took a serious interest in the fertility control decisions of women. What is being argued is the fate of women burdened with unwanted pregnancies whose well-being was placed at risk by the law.
Abortion not only affects the person herself, but also the doctor performing the abort, men, society, and economy. Doctors and clinic workers also are affected by doing the procedures of abortion. Almost all professionals reacted more or less negative effects. In the article, “The
Bergman, J., & Bergman, N. (2013). Whose choice? Advocating birthing practices according to baby's biological needs. Journal of Perinatal Education, 22(1), 8-13. doi:10.1891/1058-1243.22.1.8
Worldwide, the rate of cesarean section is increasing. According to the CDC, in 2012 the rate of cesarean sections comprised 32.8% of all births in the United States (CDC, 2013). Between 1996-2009 the cesarean section rate has risen 60% in the U.S (CDC, 2013). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 50% of the 137 countries studies had cesarean section rates higher than 15% (WHO, 2010). The current goal of U.S. 2020 Healthy People is to reduce the rate of cesarean section to a target of 23.9%, which is almost 10% lower than the current rate (Healthy People 2020, 2013). According to a study conducted by Gonzales, Tapia, Fort, and Betran (2013), the appropriate percentage of performed cesarean sections is unclear, and is dependent on the circumstances of each individual birth (p. 643). Though often a life-saving procedure when necessary, the risks and complications associated with cesarean delivery are a cause for alarm due to the documented rate increase of this procedure across the globe. Many studies have revealed that cesarean deliveries increase the incidence of maternal hemorrhage and mortality and neonatal respiratory distress when compared to vaginal deliveries. As a result, current research suggests that efforts to reduce the rate of non-medically indicated cesarean sections should be made, and that comprehensive patient education should be provided when considering an elective cesarean delivery over a planned vaginal delivery.
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