Issues of male sexuality in primary health care: Gender and medicalization

Abstract

Following the direction of masculinity studies, this paper presents an ethnographic investigation on the approach to male sexuality taken at two primary healthcare units in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. The objective was to comprehend how the sexuality of male users of the facilities is presented within the care context and how the demands that arise within this context are addressed. In interviews with users and observations of day-to-day activities in the units, sexually transmitted infections, prostate cancer prevention and erectile problems stood out as major problems. There was an abbreviated superficial professional approach, grounded in the parameter of medicalization. Although some users accept the medical discourse and submit themselves to medicalization, it is possible to identify signs of resistance. This paper discusses how the insignias of gender not only can create barriers in healthcare, but also can lead to construction of dialogical relations between professionals and male users.