Barbara Cochran, MFA Mar 17, 2022:

Gender Studies Perspective Since one is talking about female patients in this case, I think the attitude of the staff is one that has been well-entrenched in relation to women and the various kinds of fluids that, necessarily, escape from their bodies; ones that a great many men, and even some women, get very grossed out by. I think that has to do with the idea of cleanliness, and in some cases, with the odors associated with female bodily fluids. The latter are more alien to men, so they are usually more disgusted by and feel more uncomfortable when confronted by them. It would be interesting to know if the staff in question was mostly, or entirely, made up of men.

Barbara Cochran, MFA Mar 17, 2022:

Well, even though I have done a lot of writing in Spanish, and translations into Spanish, including on this site, I usually defer to the natives, of course. But in this case, I really think the staff feels uncomfortable when they are compelled to do the task in question, because they find it disgusting. The expression "disgusting bodily fluids" is used a lot in the US, but more in the general population than in a medical setting, where staff usually end up getting used to working with and around them.

Stuart and Aida Nelson Mar 17, 2022:

Barbara, insider information directly from a native Spanish speaker :) However, South America and Spain form too many countries together and you don't know the connotations in the different countries.

Barbara Cochran, MFA Mar 17, 2022:

Actually, Stuart and Aida, I did find "me da asco" listed on the Web as a very close synonym of the posted question.

Stuart and Aida Nelson Mar 17, 2022:

I think, it is a repetition of 'miedo'. I don't know it as 'asco'. Liz's link also says 'anxious'. I think that would also be appropriate but perhaps someone else has another idea :)

Barbara Cochran, MFA Mar 17, 2022:

The source text already stated "tienen miedo", which is not posted in the asker's question, anyway. If anything, it means "me da asco", meaning the staff finds it disgusting.

Stuart and Aida Nelson Mar 17, 2022:

me da impresión I remember people saying this when they really mean they are scared. 'Me da susto' would be another way of saying it but it is probably not suitable in the context.