Embodiment, Ableism, and Age: A Qualitative Study on Gynecological Health among Elderly Women with Disabilities in Rural Bangladesh
1
Anthropology, Shahjalal University of Science & Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Gynaecological care often focuses on reproductive health issues, but for older women, especially after menopause, various health concerns become vital due to substantial hormonal changes1. Due to rapid population ageing, by 2030, 54% of people aged 50 and over will be women2. Notably, the growing population of older women faces more health challenges than men because of poverty, disability, and social inequalities3.
OBJECTIVE:
To gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences regarding gynaecological health among rural older-women with disabilities.
METHODS:
This qualitative study adopted an in-depth, semi-structured interview method for primary data collection. Interviews were conducted following purposive sampling with elderly women with physical disabilities (aged 55 to 67; n=4) and caregivers (n=3) in a village called Amtoil, in the Sylhet district of Bangladesh. Participants were selected through the snowball method and interviewed multiple times to maintain rich contextual data. These data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and would be influenced by social-constructivism.
RESULTS:
Multiple identities, such as disability, rural locality, and gender identity, make women vulnerable to experiencing gynecological health-related issues and healthcare access. We have emerged four main themes through IPA: (i) “Isolated and not desired”, highlighting their unwillingness to show them in public due to social stigma, shame, anxiety and tension; (ii) “do not get treatment for disability, let alone the women’s diseases”, meaning that they are being denied both fundamental, and sexuality healthcare; (iii) overemphasizing on physical and aged condition, demonstrating their necessity for sexuality health often ignored because of exaggerating embodiment and age; (iv) “death can be a release”, referring their frustration for being a burden in their own households and suffering from various medical-conditions.
CONCLUSIONS:
These women endure compounded vulnerabilities arising not only from their age and disabilities but also from existing social stigmas, inadequate healthcare accessibility, and insufficient acknowledgment of their health requirements.
Gynaecological care often focuses on reproductive health issues, but for older women, especially after menopause, various health concerns become vital due to substantial hormonal changes1. Due to rapid population ageing, by 2030, 54% of people aged 50 and over will be women2. Notably, the growing population of older women faces more health challenges than men because of poverty, disability, and social inequalities3.
OBJECTIVE:
To gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences regarding gynaecological health among rural older-women with disabilities.
METHODS:
This qualitative study adopted an in-depth, semi-structured interview method for primary data collection. Interviews were conducted following purposive sampling with elderly women with physical disabilities (aged 55 to 67; n=4) and caregivers (n=3) in a village called Amtoil, in the Sylhet district of Bangladesh. Participants were selected through the snowball method and interviewed multiple times to maintain rich contextual data. These data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and would be influenced by social-constructivism.
RESULTS:
Multiple identities, such as disability, rural locality, and gender identity, make women vulnerable to experiencing gynecological health-related issues and healthcare access. We have emerged four main themes through IPA: (i) “Isolated and not desired”, highlighting their unwillingness to show them in public due to social stigma, shame, anxiety and tension; (ii) “do not get treatment for disability, let alone the women’s diseases”, meaning that they are being denied both fundamental, and sexuality healthcare; (iii) overemphasizing on physical and aged condition, demonstrating their necessity for sexuality health often ignored because of exaggerating embodiment and age; (iv) “death can be a release”, referring their frustration for being a burden in their own households and suffering from various medical-conditions.
CONCLUSIONS:
These women endure compounded vulnerabilities arising not only from their age and disabilities but also from existing social stigmas, inadequate healthcare accessibility, and insufficient acknowledgment of their health requirements.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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