Obstetric Violence as Reproductive Governance in the Dominican Republic. Issue 2 (17th February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Castro, Arachu; Savage, Virginia
• Is Part Of: Medical anthropology. Volume 38:Issue 2(2019)
• Page Start: 123
• Page End: 136
• Publication Date: 2019-02-17
• Subjects: Dominican Republic -- adaptive preference -- birth -- discrimination -- mistreatment -- obstetric violence; República Dominicana -- preferencia adaptativa -- nacimiento -- discriminación -- maltrato -- violencia obstétrica; Medical anthropology -- Periodicals; 362.1
• DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2018.1512984
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0145-9740

Abstract

ABSTRACT: A human rights violation, obstetric violence encompasses numerous forms of mistreatment against women giving birth in health care facilities. Based on this framework, we conducted open-ended exit interviews with 43 women who had given birth at either one of the two largest public maternity hospitals in the Dominican Republic. Women's narratives revealed a contrast between scholarly definitions of obstetric violence and their own perceptions of receiving abusive care. Analyzing obstetric violence as a form of reproductive governance and the adaptive preference that ensues helps explain why most women accepted with endurance the poor quality of care that they received.