Chapter 22

Anthropological Explorations Of Women's Reproductive Cancers

First published: 20 September 2023

Abstract

Reproductive cancers include the most common female cancers–breast cancer and cervical cancer– and less common diseases, including ovarian, uterine, vaginal, vulvar, and endometrial cancers. Male reproductive cancers encompass penile, testicular and prostate cancer (defined as a reproductive tract cancer) and breast cancer in men. Ethnographers working on reproductive cancers have frequently drawn on conceptual insights from both medical anthropology and feminist ethnographic practice and theory. In this chapter the authors trace the geographical spread of research into breast and gynecological cancers, highlighting the clustering of ethnographic enquiry and gaps across regions. They then proceed to discuss dominant themes, including the contributions of ethnographic research to understanding and improving cancer care; intersections of morality, gender, and sexuality in shaping meanings and experiences of reproductive cancers; and advocacy for improved access to care for reproductive cancers.

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