by Jolien Gijbels(Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

The end of the nineteenth century witnessed the global rise of gynaecology as a surgical discipline. Gynaecologists gained confidence in the therapeutical benefits of abdominal surgery and often succeeded in winning the trust of their patients. As a result, a growing amount of patients consented to surgery, even though the risks of death and lasting complications remained high. This paper examines the consent of women who underwent major operations in the Johns Hopkins Hospital around 1900. How can we understand their agency in a context where negotiations between doctors and patients were characterized by paternalism and power imbalances?

Jolien Gijbels is Assistant Professor of History at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. She previously held fellowships at KU Leuven and the Johns Hopkins University. Her work has primarily explored questions of reproductive medicine and medical ethics.

Mardi 12 décembre 2023 de 17h à 19h

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