The panel brings together interdisciplinary perspectives on how health and identity are shaped by social, cultural, and political forces across the globe. One study addresses obesity and cardiovascular risks in rural India, highlighting gendered health disparities and the need for targeted health interventions. Another paper examines black corporeality in Brazil, where the body becomes a site of resistance and political activism against racism, particularly through Afro-Brazilian cultural expressions. A focus on traditional healers as professional nurses in South African hospitals reveals the potential of integrating indigenous knowledge into maternal care for a more holistic healthcare model. The experiences of adolescent mothers in Brazilian prisons are analyzed, offering insight into the institutional and political discourses that shape their identities and health outcomes. Oral health practices among South African students are explored, revealing the symbolic meanings attached to dental care within different cultural contexts. Additionally, the panel includes research on safer sex negotiation among university students in South Africa, contributing to broader understandings of sexual health and identity formation. Finally, a feminist epistemological critique of medical interventions during pregnancy challenges the ways in which bodies, particularly those of women, are constructed and controlled through hegemonic medical and legal frameworks. Together, these papers engage with critical global themes, exploring the intersections of gender, health, and identity in various sociocultural contexts.