Experiencias de mujeres jóvenes colombianas mastectomizadas: un estudio etnográfico / Experiences of young mastectomised Colombian women: An ethnographic study

Objetivo: Explorar las experiencias de un grupo de mujeres jóvenes en relación con la reconstrucción de sus senos posterior a la mastectomía. Método: Etnografía focalizada realizada en la Liga Contra el Cáncer-Seccional Huila, Colombia. Mediante un muestreo casual orientado por criterio se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas a 8 mujeres jóvenes (diagnosticadas a los 45 años o antes) con cáncer de mama (reconstruidas o no después de la mastectomía) hasta conseguir saturación del discurso. La recogida de datos se efectuó entre agosto-noviembre de 2017, después de contar con el aval del comité de ética y el consentimiento de las participantes. Los datos se analizaron mediante la técnica del análisis temático posteriormente a ser anonimizados. Resultados: En los discursos de las mujeres emergieron 3 temas: el estigma social de ser una mujer joven con cáncer de mama; aprendiendo a vivir con un cuerpo transformado por la enfermedad y el tratamiento, y sobrevivir, eso es lo importante. Conclusiones: Ser una mujer joven y padecer cáncer de mama implica una diversidad de cambios que alteran de forma permanente las vidas de las mujeres y su corporalidad. Las mujeres priorizan sobrevivir para cuidar de los otros sobre la reconstrucción de los senos. A nivel sanitario, se debe incorporar la perspectiva cultural y de género para diseñar intervenciones enfermeras individualizadas que contribuyan a una mejor atención.(AU)

Objective: To explore the experiences of a group of young women in relation to the reconstruction of their breasts after mastectomy. Method: Focused ethnography, performed in the League against Cancer- Huila Section (Colombia). Through casual sampling oriented by criteria, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight young women (diagnosed at 45 years or earlier) with breast cancer (reconstructed or not reconstructed after mastectomy) until saturation of discourse. Data collection was carried out between August-November 2017, after the endorsement of the Ethics Committee and the consent of the participants. Data was analysed using the thematic analysis technique after being anonymised. Results: Three issues emerged in the women's discourses: The social stigma of being a young woman with breast cancer; learning to live with a body transformed by disease and treatment, and surviving, which is the most important thing. Conclusions: Being a young woman, and suffering from breast cancer implies a diversity of changes that permanently alter the lives of women and their bodies. Women prioritise survival in order to take care of others over breast reconstruction. At a healthcare level, the cultural and gender perspective must be incorporated to design individualised nursing interventions that contribute to better care.(AU)

Experiences of young mastectomised Colombian women: An ethnographic study. / Experiencias de mujeres jóvenes colombianas mastectomizadas: un estudio etnográfico.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences of a group of young women in relation to the reconstruction of their breasts after mastectomy. METHOD: Focused ethnography, performed in the League against Cancer- Huila Section (Colombia). Through casual sampling oriented by criteria, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight young women (diagnosed at 45 years or earlier) with breast cancer (reconstructed or not reconstructed after mastectomy) until saturation of discourse. Data collection was carried out between August-November 2017, after the endorsement of the Ethics Committee and the consent of the participants. Data was analysed using the thematic analysis technique after being anonymised. RESULTS: Three issues emerged in the women's discourses: The social stigma of being a young woman with breast cancer; learning to live with a body transformed by disease and treatment, and surviving, which is the most important thing. CONCLUSIONS: Being a young woman, and suffering from breast cancer implies a diversity of changes that permanently alter the lives of women and their bodies. Women prioritise survival in order to take care of others over breast reconstruction. At a healthcare level, the cultural and gender perspective must be incorporated to design individualised nursing interventions that contribute to better care.

[Experience of women with prenatal Zika virus infection who continued gestation in Colombia]. / Experiencia de mujeres con infección prenatal por virus Zika que continuaron la gestación en Colombia.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the decision-making process of a group of women to continue gestation following a prenatal Zika virus infection and the diagnosis of microcephaly of their fetuses. METHOD: Qualitative study. Two discussion groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 women residing in the Department of Huila (Colombia) who presented a prenatal Zika virus infection between 2015 and 2016, their children were born with congenital microcephaly. The data were analyzed following the Grounded Theory approach. RESULTS: Four categories emerged from the analysis of the data showing a temporal process, from before to taking the decision to continue gestation following prenatal Zika virus infection to its consequences. The process begins with the diagnosis virus infection during the first trimester of gestation, continuing with medical recommendations to interrupt gestation and women's refusal to interrupt gestation, and ending with the birth of children with congenital microcephaly. CONCLUSION: Women rejected abortion due to ethical conflicts based on religious beliefs and the value of motherhood. It is necessary to design social support policies for women and families affected by this problem in Colombia. Due to the international impact of the epidemic, governments should take appropriate measures to deal with future cases of Zika infections in other countries.

Viviendo con "Él" en la casa: experiencia del cáncer de mama hereditario / Living with "it" at home: the experience on hereditary breast cancer

El cáncer de mama hereditario es un fenómeno que afecta de manera particular a mujeres jóvenes. Sus experiencias están fuertemente influenciadas por la convivencia con mujeres de sus familias que lo han padecido. Por esto vivir en sus hogares con "él", el cáncer de mama, da cuenta de la cercanía de este padecimiento en la cotidianidad de la vida. Este relato biográfico nos acerca a la experiencia de una mujer joven que padece cáncer de mama, quien ha convivido con "él" y las consecuencias de su tratamiento en la figura de su madre, una sobreviviente de la enfermedad. así, ante el diagnóstico, este hecho tuvo gran influencia en su firme decisión de sobrevivir con un cuerpo lo más parecido al anterior de la irrupción de la enfermedad. De esta manera la reconstrucción de sus senos se convirtió no solo en su fin último, sino también en la forma de sentir que venció la batalla contra el cáncer

Hereditary breast cancer is a phenomenon afflicting mainly young women. their experiences are strongly influenced by living altogether with female relatives who suffered it. Therefore, to live at home with "it", that breast cancer, reflects how close is the disease in their daily lives. This biographical correlate brings us a young woman's experience who suffers breast cancer, who lives with "it" and its treatment consequences looking into the mirror of her mother, a cancer survivor. So, in this way, given the diagnosis, this fact exerted great influence in her stubbornness to survive with a body resembling that one before disease. Hence, her breasts reconstruction became not only her ultimate end, but also a way to feel she won her battle against cancer