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Obstetric violence. What is it?
Many readers may not have heard of the term “obstetric violence.” Lithuania is among the majority of countries that do not have a clearly defined and officially recognized concept of “obstetric violence”, although many studies show that “obstetric violence” is a serious problem worldwide.
A. Karnauskienė says that this concept appeared in Latin America at the end of the 20th century, when attention was paid to gender discrimination, or more precisely, to discrimination directed against women. Many women admitted to having experienced violence in public health facilities, having been forcibly sterilized, humiliated, and having experienced various forms of violence during childbirth.
“Parties that have recognized obstetric violence include physical and psychological violence, unauthorized care, as well as non-confidential care, disrespectful care (including oral care), discrimination based on the specific characteristics of the patient, refusal of care and exclusion from treatment. Of course, there are also cultural differences, discrepancies in medical care, legal differences and other things that do not allow a concept to be applied everywhere, ”says the midwife.
Painful experiences
A. Karnauskienė says that this spring she conducted a questionnaire of women on obstetric violence during childbirth for scientific and personal purposes, in which everyone was able to participate at least once in 2017-2021. women who have given birth.
“Frankly, I did not imagine what the results would be, because no such research had been done in Lithuania until then. When I started reading the responses, I was surprised because it turned out that the phrases some of our moms and grandmothers heard were still alive. , and up to 40 percent of the 560 women in the study believed they experienced midwifery violence during childbirth.
“He told me to shut up and not yell, because otherwise I was afraid he would shut up”, “If you still scream, I’ll hit you …”, “Push yourself behind your shoulders, get out of bed and yell go home “What are you yelling here? “,” That a promontory close further away from the post ”. The midwife shared some shocking examples.
She says she was shocked every time she read the women’s responses. So I debated at length what to do with these stories. “Women are already afraid of giving birth, which is completely natural, because, in every way, it is a really big test, so I did not dare to repeat their wait for negative experiences of other women.”
Precautionary measures
As already mentioned, we have not yet officially recognized obstetric violence in Lithuania, therefore there are not enough preventive measures to help prevent it. A. Karnauskienė is glad that there are many dedicated doctors in Lithuania who try to give their patients all the best. She says the problem is more on a perception level because many things are still thought to be normal and otherwise impossible.
“Until very recently, a woman experiencing domestic violence was, so to speak, guilty of living with an abusive husband, perhaps even allegedly guilty of herself and deserving it … Yes, sadly, also with women in childbirth .. After all, “they didn’t come on vacation,” they can’t take it anymore, “it doesn’t hurt,” the midwife shares the painful experiences of the women.
According to the woman, there are all kinds of people in all areas, but it is very unfortunate that it is during this sensitive period that physical and emotional damage that lasts for years is sometimes done. It is true that the midwife says that these two things cannot be shaken because the qualities of a person’s path can be unpleasant, but as a specialist, he can be a professional in his field. Of course, this does not give rise to the right to violence.
Consequences of obstetric violence
But the midwife still decided to speak. Its purpose is to convey a message that this should not be the case. “We can only fight it ourselves, maybe then there will be more empathy, because women who are suffering and stressed sometimes behave unpredictably by themselves, and the experience that we doctors give them will accompany them throughout their lives. “, He said. .
According to the doctor, the consequences of obstetric violence, like other types of violence, can leave both physical and emotional consequences that last from a few days to a few months or even be felt for many years. The literature suggests that such consequences may include postpartum depression, symptoms associated with PTSD, lacking relationships with family, friends, the other side, distrust of people, especially medical personnel, impaired emotions, nightmares, altered relationships with the newborn, fear of giving birth again and more.
The interlocutor was also surprised by the situation revealed by the fact that women who were degraded and sterile during childbirth were later able to take advantage of it by humiliating women at home and emphasizing that they did not even know how to give birth. So sadly, the self-loathing continued even after returning from the hospital.
Unfortunately, few women who have experienced obstetric violence seek professional help, although almost a third of those surveyed need help.
A. Karnauskienė says that, in general, the situation is not really bad, only cases of violence against women continue to occur.
“It is very sad that we still have those statistics and those experiences. On the other hand, looking at the behavior of my colleagues, I am proud that culture, attitudes and communication are changing dramatically, that both the public and medical staff are putting a growing poster in medical care and patient satisfaction with the quality of service. We are dependent on each other, that is why we have to work as a team, a cohesive and friendly team, where there should be no prejudice or lack of respect Unfortunately, doctors also experience various forms of violence, so mutual respect is simply necessary, ”hopes the midwife.
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