PRENATAL AND BIRTH HUMANIZATION PROGRAM IN A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: A BIOETHICS ANALYSIS

Rejane Antonello GRIBOSKI
Nursing Department, University of Brasilia

Dirce GUILHEM
Dept of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia

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     Last modified: April 16, 2006

Abstract
This research has its goal to identify the perception of women and of health professionals, about the implementation of the Prenatal and Birth Humanization Program recommended by Ministry of Health, at a University Hospital. It is based on the theoretical criterion of the Feminist Bioethics and on the methodological criterion of Bardin's Contents Analysis, having the purpose of knowing the reality lived by the subjects, in regard to the care they receive during of the parturition process. In regard to my research, I chose to interview women during their mediate postnatal period and health professionals - nurses and physicians - who work at the maternity section of a hospital. The results have shown that the future mothers accept oppression and subordination as something proper to childbirth care, an attitude which probably began to occur at the moment when it became institutionalized and medically assisted. One can also verify, through their words, that they feel powerless and dependent. Fear or ignorance of the childbirth process justifies their submission to the interventionist assistance actions provided by health professionals, what puts them into an extremely vulnerable condition. Concerning the professionals, one can perceive in their words the existence of a hierarchical structure in their professional relations. They hierarchy explains the lack of communication in the assistance provided to women, as well as the existence of a stubborn and hierarchical relation among physicians, between them and nurses and between then and women-patients. In this context, the issues proposed in this paper are related to women rights; they discuss the vulnerability, the redemption of feminine autonomy in regard to childbirth, the asymmetrical and suborn relations of health professionals towards the changes recommended by Childbirth Humanization Program.

Keywords: feminist bioethics, vulnerability, hierarchical relations, childbirth humanization, changes.

Proposed Theme: Gender (In)Justice and (In)Equality in Healthcare