The meaning of obstetric violence experiences: A qualitative content analysis of the Break the Silence Campaign

Obstetric violence involves the mistreatment, disrespect, and abuse of birthing people and the problem has been recognized in healthcare systems worldwide. Obstetric violence is a gendered, sex-specific form of violence against women that is a public health problem and a violation of human rights. There are an unknowable number of online posts and social media messages that describe obstetric violence experiences. There are no known studies about self-published experiences of obstetric violence in the US maternity care system.

To understand the meaning of obstetric violence experiences in the US maternity care system from a naturally occurring, purposive sample.

A secondary analysis of the textual data from the original Break the Silence social media campaign using qualitative content analysis. The theory of social justice in nursing provided a theoretical framework. A healthcare systems approach was used for a wide-angle view of the multidirectional structure, processes, and outcome of obstetric violence.

The study setting is the public Facebook page where the Break the Silence social media campaign can be seen. Break the Silence was an online activism response to the problem of obstetric violence in the US maternity care system with signboard messages posted from 31 known US states. The setting is bounded by the digital page where the campaign is published.

There were 139 participants, and 11 of them posted more than one signboard message. Most participants were birthing people (n = 125) followed by doulas (n = 10).

Krippendorff's methodology for qualitative content analysis was applied to 156 signboard messages posted on Break the Silence from 2014 to 2016. Qualitative content analysis was supported by Atlas.ti 23.

Four themes illustrated the meaning of obstetric violence in US maternity care: 1) pregnancy and birth as a battle with healthcare providers and the healthcare system, 2) sacrifice of the maternal body normalized and assumed as a gender stereotype, 3) disrupted rites of passage from childbirth, and 4) abuse of fiduciary power by healthcare providers.

This study demonstrated thematic meanings for the experience of obstetric violence in US maternity care with a healthcare systems approach that included structural and organizational considerations to increase understanding. Categories and forms of obstetric violence from the existing literature were expanded and strengthened by findings from this study. Themes were validated in principle with consistency in findings across the international evidence base on obstetric violence.

The meaning of #obstetricviolence experiences is interpersonal and structural with thematic consistency across international studies.