Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2006

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Harris, Michael S.

Abstract

This thesis research asks why many American women feel uncomfortable going to the gynecologist. In order to investigate this phenomenon, thirty-one women were interviewed regarding their experiences at the gynecologist and their perceptions of their genitals. Using a medical anthropology framework to determine what factors facilitate negative feelings associated with gynecological examinations, the participants' responses were analyzed with regards to cultural influences. It was found that a paradox exists between American cultural constructions of women's genitals and the biomedical structure of a gynecological examination. Since American women are culturally ingrained with a notion of privacy and sexuality regarding their genitals, revealing them to a stranger within a medical setting can become a highly-charged emotional situation. Ultimately, this paradox is never fully resolved, perpetuating the cultural construction of a gynecological examination as an inherently negative and problematic experience.

Extent

124 p.

Comments

Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2006.|Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters

Identifier

FADT13401

Format

pdf

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