Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Services

Advisor

Kimberly Lawson

Abstract

Only three states have enacted informed consent laws aimed at providing more information concerning any alternative treatments for women who undergo hysterectomy. This study attempted to fill the research gap regarding consent laws and perceptions of women who underwent hysterectomy in a state with no informed consent laws. Supported by the health belief model (HBM), the research questions focused on the perceptions of women and their lived experiences. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the beliefs and attitudes of women in a state with no informed consent laws. Interviews were the main data collection technique. The participants were 10 women who underwent a hysterectomy and were between 20 and 40 years of age at the time of the research. The interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings demonstrated that the women who underwent hysterectomies in the absence of comprehensive informed consent law could be subjected to the procedure without sufficient information. Participants negatively described their physiological, psychological, and emotional consequences of undergoing hysterectomies without sufficient information; many of them reported feeling deceived by their doctors. Overall, the women expressed the belief that care providers should be required to offer all the pertinent information about hysterectomies and alternative treatments prior to the procedure. The results of this research can be used to advocate for the introduction of comprehensive informed consent laws, promoting the positive social change that would benefit the women of the U.S.

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