The Intersection of Medicalization and Feminism

The Intersection of Medicalization and the Female Body Content to be added by Olivia Bauer

What is medicalization? According to Conrad (2008), medicalization is when a nonmedical condition or problem is described and understood in medical terms and responded to with medical interventions. “The main point in considering medicalization is that an entity that is regarded as an illness or disease… [becomes] defined as a [medical problem]” (Conrad, 2008, pp. 5, 6).

How medicalization impacts women Throughout western history, women’s natural life processes and emotions have often been considered “deviant,” requiring some type of social or medical intervention—typically performed by men, be they social or religious leaders, physicians, fathers, or husbands—to “rectify” the “problem” and “restore order.” More specifically, it is the female body that has been seen by western patriarchy-dominant societies as not only the site for, but also the cause of, deviance and insanity.