Beyond the Medical: Embodiment and Socio-cultural Dimensions of Uterine Prolapse in Nepal

Uterine prolapse (UP), a condition deeply intertwined with cultural norms and systemic inequities, disproportionately impacts married women in the world, including Nepal.This study examines UP not solely as a medical condition but as a manifestation of socio-cultural and economic pressures that regulate women's reproductive health.In an in-depth qualitative interview with ten participants, recruited via purposive sampling, this study examined the embodied realities of women with UP.The results demonstrate the role of early marriage, multiple pregnancies, poor postpartum management, and arduous physical labour in the high incidence of UP.Participants described obstacles such as a lack of health care access, social stigma, and financial limitations that lead to postponing treatment and increasing their psychological suffering.Similarly, structural inefficiency in the health system and rigidly held gender norms further marginalize affected women.This study also suggests the importance of culturally appropriate, communitydriven interventions in conjunction with broad-scale system changes to help ensure equal access to health care.According to the framing of UP through feminist anthropology and embodiment approaches used in this study, integrative approaches are suggested to tackle the gendered aspects of reproductive health inequality.