戰後台灣婦產科的手術技藝與性別政治

Translated title of the contribution: The Surgical Technique and Sexual Politics of Gynecology in Post-War Taiwan

Dai-Wie Fu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

From the basic technique of D&C (dilatation and curettage) to the supreme gynecological operation called Radical Hysterectomy (RH) for cervical cancer, in this paper I trace the technical construction and development of a typical obstetrics-gynecology doctor during Taiwan’s postwar years of 50s and 60s. Because of the poor conditions of women’s health (high morbidity and mortality rate of cervical cancer) in the 50s, plus the difficulties and hence the medical prestige of RH operation, Taiwan’s postwar tradition of gynecology has constructed and developed a certain type of doctors who are eager to perform surgical operations and value them more than any other medical treatments. On the other hand, contrary to some feminists’ generalization, gynecology in Taiwan was not inherently fond of opening woman’s body by a surgical knife, and the complications and contradictions of different gynecological trends are explored and analyzed. However, ironically and almost sadly, around Taiwan’s 1970s various trends of gynecological tradition were finally unified under the paradigm of surgical operation, with RH for cervical cancer as the top of gynecological achievements. Only from the vantage point of this highest gynecological “achievement,” I argue in this paper, can we begin understanding why in later days Taiwan the notorious C/S operation is so prevalent among obstetricians, and why the long established Pap smear techniques was so much delayed in being received and practiced in Taiwan.
Translated title of the contributionThe Surgical Technique and Sexual Politics of Gynecology in Post-War Taiwan
Original languageChinese (Traditional)
Pages (from-to)45-79
Number of pages35
Journal女學學誌
Volume14
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Nov 2002

Keywords

  • gynecology
  • sexual politics
  • surgical technique
  • history of medicine in Taiwan
  • cervical cancer
  • pap smear

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