Abstract

COELHO, Edméia de Almeida Cardoso; SILVA, Carla Tatiane Oliveira; OLIVEIRA, Jeane Freitas de  and  ALMEIDA, Mariza Silva. Integrality in women's health care: limits of practice professional. Esc. Anna Nery [online]. 2009, vol.13, n.1, pp. 154-160. ISSN 1414-8145.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1414-81452009000100021.

The current policy of full attention to women's health proposes the incorporation of the principle of integrality and the size of gender in professional practices. This qualitative study was therefore aimed at encouraging reflection and discussion among a multiprofessional team about women's health care practices and identifying those aspects that might weaken or strengthen the integrality perspective. It was carried out in a primary health unit in Salvador (Bahia, Brazil), in 2005 and 2006, having as subjects women's health care practitioners from different educational backgrounds who took part in three reflection workshops. Data were analyzed by means of discourse analysis techniques assuming gender and integrality as the theoretical framework. The multiprofessional team was shown to recognize the fact that their female clientele face situations of class and gender inequalities as well as unequal and authoritarian relationships at the health unit. Integrality was absent from the professional practices under study, a fact also recognized by the health care team who, although being able to identify the weaknesses, is unable to mobilize its potential for collective organization in order to effect change.

Keywords : Women's health; Primary health care; Public Policies.