Seeking safe passage: Argentine women's perceptions of routine prenatal care

When we were studying in Argentina, we became aware that many of the women did not participate in routine prenatal care. We completed descriptive qualitative interviews with 17 hospitalized women about their perceptions regarding prenatal care. Several themes arose related to the women's use of prenatal care: prenatal care utilization and outcomes, getting there, getting by, waiting, turning red, and knowing. Future research should concentrate on identifying components of prenatal care to build a best practice model of prenatal care that is culturally sensitive and personally relevant to provide safe passage for the women of Tucumán.