Obstetric violence experienced by teenage mothers during the birth process

Abstract

Objective: To understand the experiences of adolescents who have had a history of obstetric violence during the birth process. Methods: Descriptive, exploratory, qualitative study, carried out in a municipality in the interior of the State of Ceará, Brazil, with the participation of nine adolescents, who had a history of obstetric violence at the time of birth, who were identified by the Strategy teams Family Health of the municipality, during the postpartum visit. Data collection took place in August 2022, at the adolescents' homes. A semi-structured interview script and the content analysis technique were used. Results: Nine adolescents participated, single, mixed-race, with low family income, the majority of whom were evangelical, with incomplete high school education, primigravidae and with a history of vaginal birth. They reported the following violations experienced during the birth process: indication of an unindicated cesarean section, physical violence (Episiotomy, Kristeller maneuver, excessive vaginal touching and amniotomy) and verbal violence, prohibition of companions at the time of birth. Conclusion: The adolescents' experiences revealed that the topic of obstetric violence needs to be increasingly addressed during prenatal care, so that throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period, they can identify it and prevent it.