The Intersecting Effects of Biomedicine and Patriarchy on the Social Lives of Women Undergoing Cervical Cancer Prevention
This article examines how participating in a cervical cancer prevention program affects women's social lives. A generic qualitative study was carried out in a gynecology unit of a public hospital in the northwestern region of Spain. Using purposive sampling, 21 women aged between 21 and 52 years diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia of varying degrees, were recruited. Semi-structured interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis, based on a poststructuralist feminist perspective. Verification of doubts during data collection, triangulation of researchers' perspectives in data analysis and reflexivity and positionality strategies were employed to ensure study rigor. Two significant themes were identified: (a) the social effects of a cervical intraepithelial neoplasia diagnostic and subsequent follow-up for heterosexual couples within a biomedical healthcare system in a patriarchal society and (b) the social effects of a cervical intraepithelial neoplasia diagnostic and subsequent follow-up for relationships with family members and friends in a patriarchal society. Participants' relationships with partners, relatives and friends were impacted by cervical cancer prevention, revealing an emphasis on the treatment of the physical body and disregard for other dimensions of human life. Two dominant discourses, biomedicine and patriarchy, intersected the care delivery processes, adversely affecting patients' lives. Nurses should broaden their understanding of the social dimensions of cervical cancer prevention and treatment to encompass the multifaceted impact on various individuals, including patients, their partners, family members and friends. The social effects of the diagnostic and treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia should be included in care plans.