The Human Rights Council’s 2012 “Technical guidance on the application of a human-rights-based approach to implementing policies and programs to reduce preventable maternal morbidity and mortality” emphasized that respectful and inclusive maternity care is a human right. The health system must meet the respective needs of women while enabling them to take part in decision-making processes which involve their reproductive health and welfare of their babies. We must also recognize a healthy workforce as one of the fundamental pillars of achieving these goals.
While women need safe, inclusive, and respectful maternity care without compromising their dignity and control, these requisites for healthy maternity cannot be achieved because of a lack of health services and facilities. A 2015 mixed-methods systematic review of qualitative and quantitative evidence developed a typology of the mistreatment of women during childbirth. The physical abuse involves women beaten, slapped, kicked, or pinched during labor and birth, and women physically restrained to the bed or gagged during labor and birth. The sexual abuse includes rape, while the verbal abuse involves harsh language, and threats and blaming.
The stigma and discrimination include discrimination based on sociodemographic characteristics and medical conditions, while failure to meet professional standards of care treats lack of informed consent and confidentiality, and neglect and abandonment as its subsets. The poor rapport between women and providers involves ineffective communication, lack of supportive care, and loss of autonomy. Health system conditions and constraints include lack of resources, policies, and facility culture. Terminologies which elaborate mistreatment against women vary between settings, cultures, and studies. But the bottom line of these terms is the fact that disrespectful maternity care exists, which must not be the case.
As a recommendation, the World Health Organization recommended respectful maternity care, which characterized as, “care organized for and provided to all women in a manner that maintains their dignity, privacy and confidentiality, ensures freedom from harm and mistreatment, and enables informed choice and continuous support during labor and childbirth.” Absence of mistreatment is just a bare minimum; women must feel respected, supported, and safe in their respective maternity care without sacrificing their participation in shared decision-making. This would cause having more positive childbirth testimonies.
Reference:
Homer, C. S., Bohren, M. A., Wilson, A., & Vogel, J. P. (2021, February). Achieving inclusive and respectful maternity care: Article: GLOWM. The Global Library of Women's Medicine. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.glowm.com/article/heading/vol-3--elements-of-professional-care-and-support-before-during-and-after-pregnancy--achieving-inclusive-and-respectful-maternity-care/id/411763#.YkWihehBzIV