Ulysses contracts in medicine

Ulysses contracts are a method by which one person binds himself by agreeing to be bound by others. In medicine such contracts have primarily been discussed as ways of treating people with episodic mental illnesses, where the features of the illness are such that they now judge that they will refuse treatment at the time it is needed. Enforcing Ulysses contracts in these circumstances would require medical professionals to override the express refusal of the patient at the time treatment is required, something that is generally problematic both ethically and legally. In this paper I will argue that despite appearances Ulysses contracts can make it the case that treating a patient in such circumstances is an instance of treating him with his consent, although safeguards are needed to ensure that this is the case. Given the potential benefits to patients I further argue that modified Ulysses contracts should be made legally enforceable.

Women in Politics

this chapter provides a comprehensive discussion of the descriptive and substantive representation of women in Irish politics

We Were There:Experiences of women in the Maze and Long Kesh Prison

A feature documentary on the experiences of women in the Maze and Long Kesh Prison

Rural women in Europe: the impact of place and culture on gender mainstreaming the European Rural Development Programme

Gender relations are socially constructed. Space and culture are key factors in this process. We consider how women’s identity is constructed in rural areas of Europe. In particular, we examine the ability of gender mainstreaming to advance gender equality through the EU Rural Development Programme – the single most expensive European policy. We offer both overarching theoretical perspectives and specific case studies.

It's a WRAP: Delivering Wellness for Women in the UK

Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) was first created by Mary Ellen Copeland in 1997 and reinforced the concept of people taking individual responsibility for their health status and wellbeing. To fuel personal responsibility for one's health status, Mary Ellen purported that it was necessary for the person to tap into their inner drive and resources with a view to owning their health. This concept has been widely accepted and disseminated within the field of mental health but has not yet been fully embraced by other professions, such as midwifery. In this piece, the authors highlight the recovery and wellness ethos inherent in the current zeitgeist of healthcare and discuss how WRAP could be utilised by midwives to facilitate the wellness of women during the antenatal period and beyond.

'Every pregnant woman needs a midwife'--the experiences of HIV affected women in maternity care

TITLE: 'Every pregnant woman needs a midwife'-the experiences of HIV affected women in Northern Ireland.

OBJECTIVE: to explore HIV positive women's experiences of pregnancy and maternity care, with a focus on their interactions with midwives.

DESIGN: a prospective qualitative study.

SETTING: regional HIV unit in Northern Ireland.

PARTICIPANTS: 22 interviews were conducted with 10 women at different stages of their reproductive trajectories.

FINDINGS: the pervasive presence of HIV related stigma threatened the women's experience of pregnancy and care. The key staff attributes that facilitated a positive experience were knowledge and experience, empathy and understanding of their unique needs and continuity of care.

KEY CONCLUSIONS: pregnancy in the context of HIV, whilst offering a much needed sense of normality, also increases woman's sense of anxiety and vulnerability and therefore the need for supportive interventions that affirm normality is intensified. A maternity team approach, with a focus on providing 'balanced care' could meet all of the woman and child's medical needs, whilst also emphasising the normalcy of pregnancy.

Commemorating Women in Irish History, 1912-1922

This is a pilot project to create a website identifying places in Ireland that relate to the history of women, 1912-1922. I have also submitted a grant application to the Heritage Lottery Fund to extend this project to a longer chronological period. This is a collaborative project with Professor Bernadette Whelan in the University of Limerick.