Itineraries of reconstruction of the bodies of women attacked with chemical agents in Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract

This article explores experiences of care-seeking for the physical, social and psychological reconstruction of women attacked with chemical agents in the city of Bogotá, Colombia. Based on an ethnographic design, observational and discursive information was collected in formal and nonformal therapeutic settings, and in-depth interviews were conducted with survivors and health professionals. The data was analyzed from a narrative-critical approach. The findings show divergent interpretations within health care systems on what constitutes the reconstruction of a body attacked with chemical agents in a context marked by profound inequalities in access to health.

Keywords: Therapeutic Itineraries; Acid attacks; Health Care Models; Gender violence; Health inequality