PRENATAL AND POSTPARTUM CARE (PDF) | 2026 EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS + RATIONALES | STUDY GUIDE | 100% CORRECT
1. Which of the following best defines the term "gender" as used in this text?
A) A person's sex
B) A person's sex as defined by society
C) A societal response to a person's self-representation as a man or woman
D) A person's biological presentation as defined by himself or herself
Correct Answer: C) A societal response to a person's self-representation as a man or woman
Rationale: The textbook defines gender as a societal response to a person's self-representation,
distinct from biological sex. This distinction is central to feminist perspectives in women's
health, which recognize that health is shaped by social expectations and gender assumptions, not
biology alone .
2. Which factor bears most on women's health care today?
A) The complexity of women's health
B) Women's status and position in society
C) Population growth
D) The economy
Correct Answer: B) Women's status and position in society
Rationale: Women's status and position in society are identified as the most significant factors
influencing women's health care. Social determinants, including inequality, discrimination, and
power imbalances, have profound effects on health outcomes and access to care .
3. Why is acknowledging the oppression of women more difficult within Western societies?
A) The multiplicity of minority groups complicates the issue
B) The availability of health care makes acknowledgment more difficult
C) The diversity of the news media clouds the issue
D) Affluence and increased opportunities mask oppression
Correct Answer: D) Affluence and increased opportunities mask oppression
Rationale: In Western societies, affluence and increased opportunities can obscure the oppression
of women. This masking effect makes it more challenging to recognize systemic inequities and
structural barriers that persist despite apparent progress .
4. Which of the following most accurately defines "oppression" as used in the text?
A) Not having a choice
B) Not having a voice
C) An act of tyranny
D) A feeling of being burdened
, Correct Answer: A) Not having a choice
Rationale: Oppression is defined in the text as "not having a choice." This definition emphasizes
the structural and systemic constraints that limit individuals' autonomy and agency, rather than
focusing solely on individual experiences or feelings .
5. In what way does a model of care based on a feminist perspective contrast sharply with a
biomedical model?
A) It provides a forum for the exploration of gender issues
B) It seeks equal distribution of power within the healthcare interaction
C) It emphasizes women's rights
D) It opens new avenues for women's health care
Correct Answer: B) It seeks equal distribution of power within the healthcare interaction
Rationale: A feminist model of care contrasts with the biomedical model by seeking equal
distribution of power within the healthcare interaction. This approach promotes shared decision-
making, patient empowerment, and a more egalitarian relationship between clinician and
patient .
6. What is a chief failing of the biomedical model in regards to women's health care?
A) Its reliance on studies comprised exclusively of males
B) Its consideration of women as central to the model
C) Its emphasis on science and medicine
D) Its limited definition of "health" as "the absence of disease"
Correct Answer: D) Its limited definition of "health" as "the absence of disease"
Rationale: A chief failing of the biomedical model is its limited definition of health as merely the
absence of disease. This narrow perspective overlooks the broader social, psychological, and
environmental factors that shape health and well-being .
7. What had been a significant problem in medical research well into the 1990s?
A) The focus on randomized clinical trials over epidemiological investigations
B) The lack of representation of women in research trials
C) The lack of research related to gynecology
D) The focus on randomized clinical trials over observational research
Correct Answer: B) The lack of representation of women in research trials
Rationale: A significant problem in medical research well into the 1990s was the lack of
representation of women in research trials. This exclusion led to gaps in knowledge about
women's health and the application of findings from male-dominated studies to women .
8. How does Erick Erikson's grand theory of human development differ for females?
A) It recognizes achieving autonomy as a primary focus
B) It assumes only men desire autonomy
, C) It assumes female dependence on another in order to achieve a sense of self
D) It assumes females desire dependence on others
Correct Answer: C) It assumes female dependence on another in order to achieve a sense of self
Rationale: Erikson's theory has been critiqued for assuming that female development requires
dependence on another to achieve a sense of self. This perspective has been challenged by
feminist theorists who emphasize that women's development involves both autonomy and
connection .
9. What is true about human development theories published before the 1970s?
A) They are based on interviews conducted only with men
B) They assume androcentric models can be applied correctly to women
C) They frame women's development as flawed in comparison to the standard
D) All of the above
Correct Answer: D) All of the above
Rationale: Human development theories published before the 1970s were based on interviews
conducted only with men, assumed androcentric models could be applied to women, and framed
women's development as flawed compared to the male standard. These biases have been
critically examined in feminist scholarship .
10. What is a key limitation of prevailing developmental models for women?
A) Gender differences assumed to be biologically determined are more often socially constructed
B) They present conflicting and misapplied models
C) Gender differences are assumed to be socially prescribed
D) Similarities between male and female are emphasized over differences
Correct Answer: A) Gender differences assumed to be biologically determined are more often
socially constructed
Rationale: A key limitation of prevailing developmental models is that gender differences
assumed to be biologically determined are more often socially constructed. This critique
highlights the role of social expectations and cultural norms in shaping development .
11. How many stages does the Tanner scale use to stage sexual maturity?
A) 3 stages
B) 5 stages
C) 6 stages
D) 8 stages
Correct Answer: B) 5 stages
Rationale: The Tanner scale uses 5 stages to stage sexual maturity, assessing pubic hair growth
and breast development in females. This scale is a standard tool for evaluating pubertal
development and growth in adolescents .