Literate Laywomen, Male Medical Practitioners and the Treatment of Fertility Problems in Early Modern England

This article examines the choices made by women in the literate classes in England in the seventeenth century with regards to the treatment of their fertility problems. It is not concerned with the specific cures used, but rather with who was considered an expert on female fertility problems and where women sought treatment when they suffered from such problems. It argues that female fertility patients of the literate classes were unlikely to approach male practitioners to treat their conditions (even more so than for other medical conditions) and were more likely to self-treat or seek advice from other women (lay or professional). It further argues that those cases in which women did consult male practitioners were limited to specific situations. However, laywomen did not reject physicians' claims for authoritative reproductive knowledge, but rather incorporated that knowledge into their own treatment.
Source: Social History of Medicine - Category: History of Medicine Authors: Tags: Infertility in Medieval and Early Modern Medicine Source Type: research