"Se não está bom pra você, eu abro a sua barriga e coloco de volta": a (in)visibilidade da violência obstétrica nas narrativas das experiências de parto

Abstract

Gender-based violence constitutes a violation of Human Rights, directly affecting the right to life and physical and mental health, in conflict with the fundamental right to public safety guaranteed by the 1988 Federal Constitution. Among its various manifestations, obstetric violence remains a phenomenon that is still little explored in scientific production, especially when compared to other forms of gender-based violence, in addition to the recurring absence of specific records that differentiate it. This study aimed to analyze the understanding, forms of access to information, and the dimension of knowledge about the types of obstetric violence among women attended by the Psychology and Nutrition Clinic of the University of Vila Velha (UVV), based on their childbirth experience, as well as among women eligible for the research profile who participated online. This is a qualitative research study, conducted through semistructured interviews. The results indicated that the participants experienced situations of obstetric violence, mainly due to a lack of information about the characteristics of this type of violence, the difficulty in recognizing it, and the normalization of abusive practices sustained by the hierarchical structure of medical knowledge. Thus, multiple forms of violence during the pregnancy and postpartum period are evident, pointing to the need to strengthen institutional actions and public policies that guarantee ethical, comprehensive, and humanized care for women, newborns, and families.