Women and Cervical Smears

1
Women and Cervical Smears

• Alexandra Howson Embodied Obligation The Female
  Body and Health Surveillance

2
Different Attitudes to Cervical Smears

• Damn cheek, Im no going for no smear
• You just knew you had to goand that was it
• I knew everything about it, I knew it was to
  prevent cervical cancer

3
Foucault Paradox

• Turner (1987)
• To benefit from healthcare, body is subjected to
  social regulation/surveillance
• Women regulating other women
• Supported by scientific research
• A social duty

4
Pauline Prior Pitt Cervical Smear

• Demonstrates the effect of expert knowledge on
  female embodiment
• Emphasis on the anonymity of the medical male
  gaze
• A social duty or an unnecessary invasion?