ABSTRACT

Mexican immigrants are affected by Chagas disease (CD) in California. It is through the representation of Chagas as a rare disease that participants make sense of the disease. A positive diagnosis has meant the disruption of patients’ sense of normality and self-image, as well as their memories of homeland both reproducing and challenging hegemonic and stigmatized ideas of the disease associated with rurality and poverty. Access to treatment and medical care was the major coping mechanism. Health programs on CD should consider the emotional and social impact of the disease on people’s self-perceptions to develop better medical care and prevention.

摘要

墨西哥移民在加利福尼亚受到恰加斯病 (CD) 的影响。正是通过将恰加斯病描述为一种罕见疾病，参与者才能理解这种疾病。阳性诊断意味着患者的正常感和自我形象的破坏，以及他们对家乡的记忆，既再现又挑战了与农村和贫困相关的疾病的霸权和污名化观念。获得治疗和医疗服务是主要的应对机制。CD 的健康计划应考虑疾病对人们自我认知的情感和社会影响，以制定更好的医疗保健和预防措施。