Pèdisyon and Indispozisyon: Reproductive Illness and Embodied Experience in Haiti

Abstract

This thesis explores anthropological documentation of reproductive illnesses in Haiti and how these illnesses shape maternal and infant health outcomes. Through examining gender roles, health infrastructure, and medical beliefs in Haiti, I provide context for a framework that posits these illnesses as embodied history, trauma, and experience. Furthermore, I examine the evolving intersection of Vodou and biomedicine and its role in informing reproductive illness discourse and treatment. Finally, I propose ways in which an understanding of these illnesses can be integrated into health services in order to improve maternal and child health in Haiti.