In Babies and More we have talked about obstetric violence for several years, and even recently we shared the terrible case of a woman who gave birth to her cell alone and without medical attention, denying her the right to have a safe delivery.
For many years, various organizations and health professionals have raised their voices to demand better health conditions for women. Recently, the United Nations (UN) recognized the existence of obstetric violence, which is a great advance to eradicate it .
The report
Presented at the United Nations General Assembly in July, the 26-page report entitled ” A Human Rights-Based Approach to Abuse and Violence Against Women in Reproductive Health Services, with Special Emphasis on Care for the childbirth and obstetric violence “, was prepared by the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Dubravka Šimonović.
In it, the UN finally recognizes the existence of obstetric violence and makes visible a type of abuse that for years was invisible to them . The fact that such an organism finally makes visible the mistreatment that mother and baby receive during childbirth is great news for things to change.
Within the report, the cases of obstetric violence that have been reported around the world are exposed , and it is explained in detail what this kind of abuse consists of, as well as its causes and consequences.
In closing, the Special Rapporteur adds recommendations for measures that can begin to be implemented to achieve eradication. We share with you the main points of the report .
Obstetric violence, an issue that finally becomes visible
Within the report, the Special Rapporteur uses the term “obstetric violence” to refer to the violence suffered by women during childbirth care in health centers. This term is not yet used in international human rights law, which is why it also uses the term “violence against women during childbirth care”, which would be the simple definition of obstetric violence .
To prepare the report and define the forms of abuse considered as obstetric violence, the Special Rapporteur and the World Health Organization (WHO), who have already spoken about the importance of respected childbirth and have even shared their recommendations to have an experience positive childbirth, jointly organized a meeting with a group of experts on abuse during childbirth care in the context of human rights and violence against women .
In addition, a call was made for input and information on forms of abuse , informed consent, accountability mechanisms, and examples of national responses to violence against women in health.
In total, it received more than 128 communications from States, non-governmental organizations, independent institutions, and members of the academic world , which helped it “identify how gender-based violence manifests itself in reproductive health services and during delivery care in centers. of health”.
In these communications are the testimonies of the women who have narrated the painful history they lived and who show that obstetric violence occurs throughout the world and affects all women, regardless of their socioeconomic status .
Although obstetric violence is not something that has only happened recently, social networks and the movements that give voice to this type of violence are making the mistreatment suffered by millions of women in the world finally visible : ” the Women’s testimonies have shown that abuse and violence during childbirth are widespread and deeply rooted in health systems, “the report explains.
What is considered obstetric violence
Among the many cases that are presented in the report, there is talk of various actions considered obstetric violence , among which are the following:
- Abuse, neglect and dangerous conditions during childbirth.
- Excessive medicalization during delivery, often causing injury to the newborn.
- The technique known as “symphysiotomy”, which consists of the surgical separation and enlargement of the pelvis to facilitate delivery.
- Forced sterilization and forced abortion based on the belief that certain groups of women belonging to minority groups are not in a position to be “good mothers” or that it is not advisable for them to have children.
- Hiding information or tricking women into consenting to sterilization.
- In some countries, imprisoned women are physically restrained during childbirth by handcuffs that tie them to the bed, and they are gagged. In other cases, they are handcuffed and restrained during childbirth, postpartum, and the recovery period afterward for hours or even days.
- The detention of women and their newborn children after childbirth, due to their inability to pay hospitalization costs.
- The overuse of caesarean sections, a growing trend particularly in Latin America and Europe, in which services are planned and managed with a focus on cost and time effectiveness rather than on mother and baby health .
- The excessive or routine use of episiotomy and postpartum suture, which in many cases are also performed without informed consent and without anesthesia.
- Overuse of synthetic oxytocin to induce contractions and labor.
- The Kristeller maneuver, contraindicated by the WHO.
- Lack of respect for their privacy and confidentiality when performing vaginal exams during childbirth, either by doing them in the presence of third parties and by sharing information about your health with them.
- Surgical procedures for spontaneous abortion, curettage and postpartum suture, as well as egg retrieval during the assisted reproduction procedure, performed without anesthesia.
- Suturing procedure after episiotomy that applies more stitches than necessary, the so-called “husband stitches”.
- Lack of autonomy and decision-making capacity, including the ability to choose her preferred birthing position.
- Sexist and offensive remarks during delivery care, such as verbal assaults
- Psychological abuse such as threats, teasing, reproaches, insults and yelling.
- The absence of informed consent, which although it exists in many countries, is seldom respected and considered, leading to many procedures performed on women and babies without asking for their consent.
- The application of so-called “hospital protocols” or the use of blank consent forms that women are asked to sign and that allow medical personnel to do what they deem necessary without the need for any consent.
Why it is important to recognize and eradicate it
This type of violence and mistreatment of women during childbirth care, not only can put the health of mothers and babies at risk, but can also leave physical and psychological consequences , and affect various aspects of the mother’s life, such as breastfeeding, your sexuality, or your relationship with your partner and your baby.
As we talked about it a long time ago in an interview with Ibone Olza, child psychiatrist, mother and activist for birth rights, what happens in childbirth is deeply engraved in both brains .
But in addition to the harm that obstetric violence can cause, it is something that must be eradicated simply because it violates women’s rights to have a safe and respected delivery .
For all this, and because it is time for real action to be taken worldwide, it is relevant and important that an organization like the UN finally make obstetric violence visible , and begin to take the necessary measures to eradicate it.
More information | Human rights-based approach to abuse and violence against women in reproductive health services, with special emphasis on delivery care and obstetric violence
Photos | iStock
Via | The country
