Biography
Biography: Esra GÃœNEY
Abstract
Obstetric violence (OV), is a specific type of violation of women’s rights in medical practice during health care related to the child birth processes. Women who give birth may be exposed to different forms of OV during labor, in the delivery room, and in the early postpartum period. Being exposed to such maltreatment and abuse creates a psychological distance between expectant mothers and care providers, and as a result, women who are afraid of being exposed to abuse and violence avoid applying to health systems. Avoidance of applying to the hospital and thus getting away from the health system is becoming a more important obstacle than geographical or financial barriers among the barriers encountered in providing maternal health care.
The inability of expectant mothers to receive service from health institutions is one of the important factors that play a role in the increase in maternal mortality rates. According to WHO's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), countries should set new targets for reducing maternal mortality rates and develop effective policies to achieve this. SDG 3 includes an ambitious target: “reducing the global MMR to less than 70 per 100 000 births, with no country having a maternal mortality rate of more than twice the global average”. Although Turkey has a good 16.0% maternal mortality rate (WHO,2018), it has been determined that the rate of home births is on the rise in some studies.
Respectful care during childbirth has been described as “a universal human right that encompasses the principles of ethics and respect for women’s feelings, dignity, choices and preferences”. Accounts of women, health workers and families reveal a range of disrespectful and abusive treatment. These include physical abuse (beating, slapping and pinching), lack of consent for care (e.g. for Caesarean section or tubal ligation), non-confidential care (e.g. lack of physical privacy or sharing of confidential information), undignified care (e.g. shouting, scolding and demeaning comments), abandonment (e.g. being left alone during delivery), discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, age, or wealth, or detention in facilities for failure to pay user fees.