Abstract
Breast cancer is a major concern in women’s health in Mainland China. Literature demonstrates that women with breast cancer (WBC) need to pay much effort into resisting stigma and the impact of treatment side-effects; they suffer from overwhelming consequences due to bodily disfigurement and all these experiences are not beneficial for their mental and sexual health. However, related studies in this area are rare in China. The objectives of this study are 1) To understand WBC’s treatment experiences, 2) To understand what kinds of support should be contained in a transdisciplinary intervention framework (TIF) for Chinese WBC through the lens that is sensitive to gender, societal, cultural, and practical experience. In this study, the feminist participatory action research (FPAR) approach containing the four cyclical processes of action research was adopted. WBC’s stories were collected through oral history, group materials such as drawings, theme songs, handicraft, storytelling, and public speech content; research team members and peer counselors were involved in the development of the model. This study revealed that WBC faces difficulties returning to the job market and discrimination, oppression, and gender stereotypes are commonly found in the whole treatment process. WBC suffered from structural stigma, public stigma, and self-stigma. Collaboration is essential between 1) Health and medical care, 2) Medical social work, 3) Peer counselor network and 4) self-help organization to form the TIF for quality care. The research findings are crucial for China Health Bureau to develop quality medical social services for breast cancer survivors and their families.
Presenters
Yuk Yee LeeAssistant Professor, School of Social Work, Gratia Christian College (Hong Kong), Hong Kong Hok Bun Ku
Department of Applied Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Gender-sensitive, Women with Breast Cancer, Transdisciplinary Intervention Framework, Empowerment, Feminist participatory action research
