Vulnerabilities mediating the Healthcare encounter: by an intersectional agency

• Published in: Ciência & saude coletiva 2024-07, Vol.29 (7), p.e04352024
• Main Authors: Barbosa, Ana Cláudia, Oliveira, Simone Santos, Oliveira, Roberta Gondim de
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Black People - psychology; Brazil; Delivery of Health Care - organization & administration; Female; Health Personnel - organization & administration; Health Personnel - psychology; Health Services Accessibility; Healthcare Disparities; Humans; National Health Programs - organization & administration; Poverty; Vulnerable Populations
• ISSN: 1413-8123; 1678-4561
• DOI: 10.1590/1413-81232024297.04352024EN

This essay elucidates the Healthcare and Intersectionality notions to prompt reflections on the interaction between healthcare professionals and individuals referred to as Nanás: elderly, poor, and Black women who represent a historically marginalized profile throughout Brazilian history. By delving into the arguments about the concept of Intersectionality and the multifaceted Care dimensions, it becomes apparent that there is a pressing need to broaden the perspective on women who access healthcare services, as they are inherently shaped by their life experiences. Moreover, it is imperative to acknowledge how the intersecting factors inherent in their profiles can influence the approach taken by those providing Care, which underscores the essentiality of an intersectional agency on the part of the agents involved in this encounter, namely the Nanás and healthcare workers, to effectively uphold the principles of comprehensiveness and equity within the Unified Health System (SUS).