Since the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, violence against women has frequently appeared in the media as one of the gravest consequences due to insecure living situations in settlement camps. This, however, is not newly arisen issue and has been occurring in the country at relatively high rates prior to the disaster. Violence against women presents an unconventional portrait in Haiti, meaning the characteristics of the situation run counter to the usual circumstance of violence in which the poorest and least educated form the majority of victims.

This thesis explores the anthropological documentation of reproductive illnesses in Haiti and how these illnesses shape maternal and infant health outcomes. Through examining gender roles, health infrastructure, and medical beliefs in Haiti, I provide context for a framework that posits these illnesses as embodied history, trauma, and experience. Furthermore, I examine the evolving intersection of Vodou and biomedicine and its role in informing reproductive illness discourse and treatment.