The impact of culture and ethnicity on women's perceived role in society and their attendant health beliefs

Abstract

Cultural background and ethnicity need to be at the forefront of a doctor's mind when thinking about the way women present and deal with health issues for themselves and their families. Despite the obvious fact that women make up about half the population, their health needs may be different to the expectations and processes of the model of care used by the majority of health professionals. Some of these differences are likely to be due to social structures but women's personal history and health beliefs in general will impact on their health care in ways that may lead them even further from achieving healthy outcomes. In general practices where a large proportion of the population is from different cultures, interacting with women with complex health care needs requires an awareness of the underlying beliefs of both doctor and patient. To understand a woman's health issues in her new country, the doctor must acknowledge that she may face discrimination at three levels: as a woman, as a migrant and as an ethnic minority.