Abuse during childbirth

Abuse during childbirth (obstetric violence or disrespectful care) is generally defined as interactions or conditions deemed humiliating or undignified by local consensus and interactions or conditions experienced as or intended to be humiliating or undignifying.[1][2] Bowser and Hill's 2010 landscape analysis defined seven categories of abusive or disrespectful care, including physical abuse, non-consented clinical care, non-confidential care, non-dignified care, discrimination, abandonment, and detention in health facilities.[3]

This treatment is regarded as a form of violence against women and a violation of women's rights. It is a recurring issue in facilities around the globe per World Health Organization studies, and can have serious consequences for mother and child. Namely, abuse during childbirth may prevent women from seeking pre-natal care and using other health care services in the future.[4] Adolescents, women who are unmarried, women of low socioeconomic status, migrant women, women infected with HIV, and ethnic minority women are at a greater risk of experiencing obstetric violence.[4]

  1. ^ Freedman, Lynn P; Ramsey, Kate; Abuya, Timothy; Bellows, Ben; Ndwiga, Charity; Warren, Charlotte E; Kujawski, Stephanie; Moyo, Wema; Kruk, Margaret E; Mbaruku, Godfrey (2014-12-01). "Defining disrespect and abuse of women in childbirth: a research, policy and rights agenda". Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 92 (12): 915–917. doi:10.2471/BLT.14.137869. ISSN 0042-9686. PMC 4264393. PMID 25552776.
  2. ^ Freedman, Lynn P; Kruk, Margaret E (September 2014). "Disrespect and abuse of women in childbirth: challenging the global quality and accountability agendas". The Lancet. 384 (9948): e42–e44. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(14)60859-x. ISSN 0140-6736. PMID 24965825. S2CID 20380618.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference sando was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b "Prevention and elimination of disrespect and abuse during childbirth". World Health Organization. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2017.