A different type of medicine: women's experiences with ophthalmic diseases in rural and urban Tamil Nadu, India.
I conducted a study to understand how urban and rural women conceptualized eye diseases in Tamil Nadu state(1). I chose to examine eye diseases because ailments such as cataracts, glaucoma, refractive error, and diabetic retinopathy rank among the most serious diseases of Indian women. I collected observational, survey, and interview data to compare women from rural and urban areas. In line with my expectations, rural women were more likely to rely upon non-medical means of treatment than their urban counterparts. Contrary to expectations, however, I found that urban and rural Tamil women's overall dependence on nonmedical means was not excessive. Based on the study's findings, it appears that both urban and rural women express a marked preference for both traditional and modern medical treatments - a phenomenon that is known as medical pluralism. Rural participants expressed a greater interest in medical pluralism than their urban counterparts. The results of the study lead me to believe that medical pluralism may be associated with the patient's geographic residence. I conclude this article with a discussion of the consequences of medical pluralism for women's health and overall societal development in Tamil Nadu.
Subramanian
Keerthika Melissa
KM
Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. keerthika.subramanian@gmail.com
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002755:Choice Behavior; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016387:Women's Health