The Scars of the Erasure_web

Erasure_4a 10.1.11 20:29 Page 183ERASED RIGHTS, INVISIBLE DISEASES183was quite deep. […] After that I never attempted to go to the doctor again. Perhapsit contributed a little to my falling ill with cancer later. (Edin, 45)3.2 Delivering a baby at home, delivering it into “illegality”The table about access to official medical institutions shows that an importantpercentage (24.54 percent) of uninsured erased persons did not seekhealth care assistance either because they feared rejection or high bills (17.54percent), or because they did not need it (7.01 percent). The last mentioned segment,if they felt sick, usually relied on their illness perspective, or they, consciouslyor unconsciously, were afraid to face the disease dimension of theirillness. One frequent consequence in both groups who did not seek health careassistance was that the treatment of their illness eventually became overdue,so their health condition deteriorated.There are also other, less expected, health risks. The interviews showedthat at least one woman was left without medical examination during two pregnancies,while one delivery took place without medical supervision, and the babyremained excluded from the Slovenian health care system. Samira and Sabinarelated the following experience:A: Were you ever admitted for medical examination?D: No.A: Not even when you delivered the baby?D: No, no, I did it like [makes a gesture showing how she helped herself when deliveringthe baby].A: Oh, oh.D: That’s why I’m worried about the next one [she was pregnant at the time ofthe interview] [...]A: So you delivered your children…C: No, two of them, he was born already.A: But your first child was born in Subotica? [Serbia]B: Yes.C: And the second was born in Ljubljana.A: But also in the situation without health insurance?B: Yes.A: And who helped you?C: Women, old women. (Samira, 42 and Sabina, 25)