Title: Womens' health and virgin identities: providing reproductive health care for unmarried women in Eastern IndonesiaSubmitted by: Linda Rae Bennett, Key Centre for Women's Health in Society, The University of Melbourne, AustraliaThis paper explores the intersections between health and identity for single women in Eastern Indonesia. It investigates cultural and state constructions of women's and reproductive health, which focus almost exclusively on maternal health. I illustrate how the social stigma attached to premarital sex for women deters them from accessing reproductive health services and affects the quality of care offered to them when they do access services. Finally the issues of social and financial autonomy for unmarried women are explored, using case study material, that demonstrate how single women's lack of autonomy relative to married women acts to constrain their health seeking behaviour. Return to Abstracts menuCarol Burnett Phone: 61 - 3 - 9349 1899 Email: c.burnett@asialink.unimelb.edu.au
|