Improving the Reproductive Health for Pregnant and Pre and Post Menopausal Women: An Exchange of Western and Hispanic Indigenous Medicine

Abstract

In the United States there is constant controversy between biomedicine and traditional medicine. Many seek the U.S because it has one of the top medical advancements and medical professionals, but there are constant struggles with affordability and quality care in the country. In the frequent and shared experiences from women across the country, the pressing issue of women’s reproductive health in the United States is a subject that is severely under addressed. According to Dr. Kulleni Gebreyers et al., as she states in the article “What’s causing US women to skip or delay medical care?”, “[they] found three design flaws in the US health care system that can present formidable barriers to people receiving optimal care, and which disproportionately affect women.” The clinical and social biases affect the health of women by preventing care and providing insufficient quality care. In using Hispanic indigenous medicine as a supplement to the current American healthcare system, the health disparities of women’s reproductive health can improve. Taking this into account, how can we use and learn from Hispanic indigenous medicine to be able to improve reproductive treatment for pregnant and pre and post menopausal women? This presentation will highlight the common practices of Hispanic indigenous medicine, why they are culturally important, and how they can improve treatment of pregnant and pre and post menopausal women in the U.S. Therefore, by exchanging the use of biomedicine and the applications of Hispanic indigenous medicine can change the way we treat and the health outcomes for this demographic.