Colonizing Childbirth: The Adoption of Western Obstetrics in Hong Kong (1842-1910)

Since the sixteenth century, advancements in anatomy and Western medicine have facilitated male exploration of women’s bodies and intervention in women’s health issues, including childbirth. The medicalization of childbirth during the eighteenth century enabled men to exert control over birthing practices. This paradigm of “medicalized childbirth” was introduced to China in the early nineteenth century alongside the Protestant missionary movement. This article examines the introduction of Western obstetrics in Hong Kong. Following Hong Kong’s designation as a British colony in 1842, the colonial government largely neglected the medical needs of Chinese residents, thereby creating opportunities for medical missionaries. To navigate the cultural and gender barriers inherent in this context, Western physicians were compelled to make compromises regarding “gender politics” and “medical space” to render Western obstetrics a viable option for Chinese families. This process facilitated opportunities for women to receive medical training in Europe and the United States and enabled their participation in overseas medical missions. Furthermore, it opened pathways for Chinese women to enter the medical field as nurses and doctors. In the early twentieth century, as the colonial government intensified its efforts to reduce infant mortality, it relied on female missionary doctors and nurses to train Chinese maternity nurses to conduct home deliveries. This marked a significant increase in obstetric cases and culminated in implementing maternity regulations in 1910.