Mexican Beliefs and Attitudes Toward Hysterectomy and Gender-Role Ideology in Marriage

Abstract

One hundred and sixty-one Mexican respondents completed a questionnaire that measured beliefs and attitudes toward hysterectomy and another that measured gender-role ideology in marriage (GRIMQ). The participants were divided into two groups according to the GRIMQ: “high machismo/marianismo” and “low machismo/marianismo” groups. The participants belonging to the first group showed the most negative attitudes toward hysterectomy. In this group, men showed more negative attitudes toward hysterctomy and were less likely than women to believe that hysterectomy has positive aspects. The findings are discussed in light of male dominance and female subordination that prevail in certain cultural groups of Mexico.xs

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grant PROMEP/103.5/09/4482 from the Secretaría de Educación Pública: Programa de Mejoramiento del Profesorado. The authors thank Fabiola Torres and Liliana Yepes who assisted in the collection of data.