30. Al-Khadour, Z. and Maas, L.E.M. Physiotherapy on Obstetrics and Gynecology in Palestine. Paper presented at World Congress of WCPT. Washington, 1995: 11 pp.

Obstetrics and gynecology is not part of physiotherapy practice in Palestine. Therefore, this pilot study seeks to shed some light on the reasons why this is so. The study looks at the training and practice of physiotherapists and physicians specialized in obstetrics and gynecology. Results indicate that the lack of referrals by the physicians might cause a low patient load for physiotherapists willing to treat obstetrics/gynecology cases. However, physiotherapists also do not feel confident in addressing such issues. This is not only because of a lack of appropriate training but also due to the cultural separation between the sexes. The authors suggest that since most of the physicians are male, women are not encouraged to seek further services as the physicians’ attitudes toward women do not encourage empathy and understanding of the women’s position. Most of the physiotherapists surveyed do not believe that obstetrics/gynecology should be part of the training curriculum, indicating a lack of interest in women’s health issues. The authors emphasize that before including obstetrics/gynecology in the training curriculum of physiotherapy, a needs assessment should be conducted to determine whether there actually is such a need among women.