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  • Title: Medical education, women's status, and medical issues' effect on women's health in the Caribbean.
    Author: Cox C.
    Journal: Health Care Women Int; 1997; 18(4):383-93. PubMed ID: 9287564.
    Abstract:
    At an international conference in 1992 on women and health, an attempt was made to redefine health concerns for women of the English-speaking Caribbean in the 1990s. Medical practices in developing countries change as advances are made in public health; clinical issues on the islands now resemble those in the United States (e.g. hypertension, cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, domestic violence, and abortion). In the Caribbean, however, these problems exist in a unique socioeconomic context, and women's health there suffers indirectly because of cultural mores. Gender bias in medical education and practice influences treatment of women and obstructs their advancement to policy-making levels in the design and delivery of programs that bear on maternal and child health, among others. The effect of local cultural beliefs and practices on women's health must be considered when setting goals and direction for health policy if aid or educational programs are to be effective. The major women's health issues in the English-speaking Caribbean (e.g., sexually transmitted diseases [STDs], domestic violence, abortion, adolescent pregnancy, cancer, hypertension, and diabetes) now resemble those in the US. In the Caribbean, however, these health problems are rooted in unique cultural, socioeconomic, and environmental contexts that affect their resolution. For example, as a result of poverty and their low social status, women in the Caribbean are relatively powerless in sexual decision making and disadvantaged in terms of protecting themselves against AIDS, other STDs, and unwanted pregnancy. Caribbean-trained physicians directly influence the quality of women's health in the West Indies. Their medical school education affects their diagnostic and interpersonal skills in clinical practice and the ethical values that form the basis of policy making. The University of West Indies (UWI) Faculty of Medicine trains students from 20 English-speaking Caribbean islands at 3 campuses. During 1990-91, 438 male and 350 female medical students were enrolled. The relatively high female enrollment reflects the fact that Caribbean doctors are poorly paid and not highly esteemed, making the field more open to women. However, only 3 of the 31 full professors in the UWI medical faculty are women. Gender bias further hinders the ability of female physicians to form the professional relationships necessary for advancement. Medical education should include training on interpersonal skills, gender issues, and biomedical ethics. More female role models in medical education and female policy makers would substantially alter the scope and effectiveness of reproductive health programs.
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