Dr Andrea Whittaker

Duration: 20 min 58 sec
Format: MP3

Our guest for this episode is Dr Andrea Whittaker, Medical Anthropologist and Senior Lecturer at Asia Institute. Dr Whittaker's primary research interests relate to reproductive health, gender and development in Thailand with a major study published in 2004 on abortion in Thailand. Her Australian research includes studies on general practice, gender and diabetes and family formation. Her current research funded by the Australian Research Council involves a study on infertility, assisted reproductive technologies and reproductive tourism in Thailand and the region.

" ... governments in the region see it (medical tourism) as a whole new form of foreign exchange and trade for them, and to fill a gap that the [1997] Asian economic crisis has left ..." - Dr Andrea Whittaker

Useful Information

Current Research Projects

• Infertility, IVF and Reproductive Tourism in Thailand and the Region
• Perceived Influences Upon Australian Family Formation Decision

Recent Publications

Journals

• WHITTAKER, A (2002) The struggle for abortion law reform in Thailand. Reproductive Health Matters 10 (19):45-53.(http://www.rhmjournal.org.uk/)
• WHITTAKER, A. (2002) Eliciting Qualitative Information about Induced Abortion: Lessons from Northeast Thailand. /Health Care for Women International 23:631-641.(http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a713853075~db=all~order...)
• BELTON, S AND WHITTAKER, A, (under review) Kathy Pan, sticks and pummelling: techniques used to induce abortion by Burmese women on the Thai border. Social Science and Medicine
• WHITTAKER, A (2001). Conceiving the Nation: representations of abortion in Thailand. /Asian Studies Review/ 25(4) (423-451http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a771578672~db=all~order=page)
• WHITTAKER, A (forthcoming, 2007) Pleasure and pain: Medical Travel in Asia. Global Public Health

Books

• Whittaker, A.(2004), Abortion, Sin and the State in Thailand. Routledge-Curzon: London.
• Whittaker, A.(ed) (2002), Women!|s Health in Mainland South-east Asia. Haworth Press: West Hazelton
• Whittaker, A. (2000), Intimate Knowledge: Women and their Health in Northeast Thailand. Women in Asia Publication Series, Allen and Unwin: Melbourne.

Asia Institute web site

Dr Andrea Whittaker's web page at Asia Institute

World Heatlh Organziation: Sexual and Reproductive Health website

Credits

Host: Sian Prior
Producers: Kelvin Param, Eric Van Bemmel and Sian Prior
Audio Engineer: Craig McArthur
Theme Music performed by Sergio Ercole. Mr Ercole is represented by the Musicians' Agency, Faculty of Music
Voiceover: Paul Richiardi

Series Creators: Eric Van Bemmel and Kelvin Param

Melbourne University Up Close is brought to you by the Marketing and Communications Division in association with Asia Institute.