What makes Women Sick: Gender and the Political Economy of Health

This book analyzes the myriad of ways in which women's daily activitiesdomestic and waged work, family caregiving and sexual activity among others affect their physical, emotional and psychological health. Using quotes from women of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, statistics from national and international studies and detailed comparisons of health patterns among different regions, this text documents the common experiences of women worldwide, pinpointing the universal problems that they share in seeking an understanding of (and a response to) their unique health needs. Doyal states in her introduction that the book's central objective is "to contribute to the process of making their (women's) lives better." She provides a candid and well-organized discussion of the conflicts faced by scores of women in their encounters with an inadequate health care system, making revealing comparisons between the experiences of women from developed nations and those of their counterparts in underdeveloped countries. In the first two chapters, Doyal places her work in context: citing the demographics of "sick" women (with respect to morbidity and mortality), outlining widely-held gender stereotypes and critiquing the applicability of modern medicine to women's health needs. She then goes on to discuss the risks and consequences associated with domestic labor, taking into account such significant factors as women's lack of access to economic and social resources, their marginal status as housekeepers and their vulnerability to domestic violence, stress and mental health problems. In the next three chapters, she focuses on sex, reproduction and motherhood as potential threats to women's health. She analyzes the dynamics of sexual oppression of women, examining such issues as (1) the subordination of women's desires to those of men, (2) the sexual abuse of women and (3) the rising incidence of diseases such as AIDS and cervical cancer. Likewise, she discusses the limitations placed upon women's reproductive choice in the form of government-regulated contraception, mandated sterilization and genital mutilation. She describes the dangers of different types of contraceptive methods, as well as the personal and political implications of abortion. Finally, Doyal explores the hazards of childbearing. From maternal mortality to infertility, she emphasizes the extraordinary social pressures placed on women to become mothers, and reinforces the idea that a woman's inability to control her fertility remains invariably linked with her inability to control other aspects of her life. In the next chapter, she investigates women's role as members of the paid work force, listing numerous hazards that face women workers everyday, such as exposure to industrial solvents and carcinogens, sexual harassment from employers and coworkers and extreme physical and emotional stress. Doyal then examines the major addictive substances used by women (alcohol, tobacco, pills and food), which frequently lead to dependency and to overall self-destruction. She describes the intense appeal of these "remedies" (as promoted by tobacco and alcohol advertising companies) for women who feel burdened by family and work and illustrates how damaging these substances can be to their health.