El Valor de la Mujer: A Study of Cervical Cancer in Managua, Nicaragua
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2013
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Haverford College. Department of Anthropology
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Thesis
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Award
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eng
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Abstract
This thesis reviews cervical cancer in Nicaragua, analyzing the causes of its prevalence, which lie in strict gender roles, stigmatization of the disease, and structural economic disparities. Responsible for 52% of deaths among Nicaraguan women annually, Nicaragua has the highest cervical cancer rates in Central America. During the time that I spent in Managua, I explored the reasons behind these high rates, interviewing women in the neighborhood of Acahualinca, as well as the local Acahualinca Women’s Health Clinic and the Berta Calderón National Women’s Hospital. With affordable healthcare treatment and a plethora of public and private campaigns raising awareness about cervical cancer, its high prevalence rates were baffling. In this thesis I further explore the facets behind the disease including the gender expectations of women and men, the violent machismo behavior, and the associations of cervical cancer with promiscuity and uncleanliness. Through analyzing these underlying factors that promote cervical cancer, I ultimately seek to provide suggestions for improving both the public and private healthcare systems and decreasing cervical cancer rates in Nicaragua.