Biomaterial Database

Women's experiences of preterm labor: a feminist critique. 1999

S C Williams, and M C Mackey

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Using a feminist perspective, women's experiences of preterm labor (PTL) were critiqued and compared with the medical establishment's perspective on PTL as described in the medical literature. Interview data from 29 women who participated in a larger study on the PTL experience were revisited and examined based on principles of feminist theory. The persistent "medicalization" of women's bodies was discussed and used as a framework to explore several issues: (a) the diagnosis of PTL and what it means to be at risk for this phenomenon; and (b) the treatment of PTL including the role of medications, activity, and home monitoring for uterine contractions. Based on the differences that emerged when PTL--was examined from two divergent standpoints--the women's perspective and the physician's perspective--some alternative approaches to PTL management that place women's lives at the center of the treatment process were suggested.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007752	Obstetric Labor, Premature	Onset of OBSTETRIC LABOR before term (TERM BIRTH) but usually after the FETUS has become viable. In humans, it occurs sometime during the 29th through 38th week of PREGNANCY. TOCOLYSIS inhibits premature labor and can prevent the BIRTH of premature infants (INFANT, PREMATURE).	Preterm Labor,Labor, Premature,Premature Labor,Premature Obstetric Labor,Labor, Premature Obstetric,Labor, Preterm
D008427	Maternal Health Services	Organized services to provide health care to expectant and nursing mothers.	Health Services, Maternal,Services, Maternal Health,Health Service, Maternal,Maternal Health Service
D008503	Medical Staff	Professional medical personnel who provide care to patients in an organized facility, institution or agency.	Medical Staffs,Staff, Medical,Staffs, Medical
D009035	Mothers	Female parents, human or animal.	Mothers' Clubs,Club, Mothers',Clubs, Mothers',Mother,Mother Clubs,Mother's Clubs,Mothers Clubs,Mothers' Club
D010817	Physician-Patient Relations	The interactions between physician and patient.	Doctor-Patient Relations,Doctor Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relationship,Doctor Patient Relation,Doctor-Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relationships,Physician-Patient Relation,Relation, Doctor Patient,Relation, Doctor-Patient,Relation, Physician Patient,Relation, Physician-Patient,Relations, Doctor Patient,Relations, Doctor-Patient,Relations, Physician Patient,Relations, Physician-Patient,Relationship, Physician Patient,Relationships, Physician Patient
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011287	Prejudice	A preconceived judgment made without factual basis.	Anti-Semitism,Islamophobia,Anti Semitism,Anti-Semitisms,Islamophobias,Prejudices
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man