The Meanings of Obstetric Violence in the Process of Delivery and Birth

Abstract

Introduction: Obstetric violence is present in day-to-day maternity and in the practice of health professionals, in which cases ethical and humanized care is necessary.

Objective: To analyze the meaning values expressed by health professionals regarding obstetric violence in the process of delivery and birth.

Methods: A phenomenological study based on Max Scheler's theory of values was carried out with 48 health professionals from four maternity hospitals in Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil, by means of convenience sampling. The information was collected through phenomenological interview between April, 2017 and April, 2018, as well as analyzed using the methodological framework of Paul Ricoeur's interpretation theory.

Results: As long as some professionals were unaware of or did not acknowledge obstetric violence, a countervalue for health training was expressed. The scientific value pointed to the possibility of resignifying obstetric care as a vital-ethical value in the protective practice against acts of violence.

Conclusion: Vital, ethical and scientific values are the basis of a safe and qualified practice, at the time that they are protective values against obstetric violence. However, health training is not valued, which contributes to the invisibility of women and of violence itself.