Representation of the black woman on the Brazilian Ministry of Heath advertising posters

Abstract

Objective: To describe and analyze the forms of representation of black women in posters used by the Brazilian Ministry of Health for advertising campaigns on women’s sexual and reproductive health. Method: Descriptive, exploratory and documentary study with advertising posters addressing the promotion of women’s sexual and reproductive health, available at the Virtual Health Library - Brazil. For the analysis of data, the thematic content analysis was used. Results: Out of the 498 identified posters, 161 addressed women’s sexual and reproductive health. After applying the exclusion criteria, 41 posters remained, of which 31 (75.6%) represented a white woman, nine (21.9%) a black woman, and one an indigenous woman (2.4%). Data analysis converged to two analytical categories: the pseudo representation of black women; and women’s sexual and reproductive health limited to pregnancy and postpartum. Conclusion: The representation of the black woman in the advertising posters of the Brazilian Ministry of Health is low, and the themes addressed in the posters do not contemplate all the phenomena that make up the sexual and reproductive health of women during their life cycle.