Analysing Gender in Healthcare: The Politics of Sex and Reproduction

This book examines regulatory conundrums
This book explores regulatory conundrums around adolescent sexual health, abortion, and assisted reproductive technologies in the UK, arguing that government calculations of cost-effectiveness overshadow assumed media control and reflect traditional family formation. COVID-19 has disrupted these dynamics further, making it more timely to consider the future of gendered healthcare in the UK.

Format: Hardback
Length: 250 pages
Publication date: 02 January 2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This comprehensive book delves into intricate regulatory challenges surrounding adolescent sexual health, abortion, and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in the United Kingdom (UK). By examining the various stages at which women's reproductive health intersects with government action, it seeks to assess how these legal and policy fields are shaped through the conceptual lens of policy networks. The book argues that the assumed media control over these issues is overshadowed by government calculations of cost-effectiveness, leading to the marginalization of women in publicly funded healthcare. Moreover, decisions regarding the design of programs and levels of access consistently reflect traditional family formation, further exacerbating the disparities faced by gender and sex minorities.

COVID-19 has further disrupted these dynamics, altering the manner in which previously inhibited patients engage with the National Health Service (NHS). As the pandemic recedes, it becomes increasingly crucial to consider the future of gendered healthcare in the UK and to question the likelihood of long-term change in patients' ability to inform health policy decisions.

The book appeals to scholars and students of gender and health policy, law, and politics, as well as healthcare practitioners, offering valuable insights into the complex interplay between regulation, policy, and healthcare practices. It sheds light on the ongoing challenges and opportunities faced by women and marginalized groups in accessing reproductive healthcare services and highlights the need for transformative change in the healthcare system to promote gender equality and equity.

Weight: 464g
Dimension: 155 x 219 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031087271
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022