Perception and experience of obstetric violence in postpartum women at a public hospital in Peru: a mixed study

To determine the perception and experience of obstetric violence during childbirth among postpartum women in a public hospital in Peru.

Mixed, descriptive and cross-sectional study during the quantitative phase and with a phenomenological design during the qualitative phase. The population was 444 postpartum women, with a sample made up of 139 postpartum women who had vaginal delivery (surveys) and 21 postpartum women (semi-structured interviews). The study was carried out during the months of April to December 2023.

We identified that 25.2% of the surveyed women perceived obstetric violence during childbirth and the postpartum period; however, when asked about specific forms of obstetric violence, 100% of postpartum women reported having experienced some form of physical violence and 97.8% responded that they experienced some form of psychological obstetric violence and all the participants reported having suffered at least one form of obstetric violence. Regarding psychological violence, of the total number of puerperal women, 69.1% perceived that they were not informed about consent before signing and undergoing an intervention, 53.2% stated that the staff that assisted them during delivery did not identify themselves by name or profession. With regard to physical obstetric violence, 96.4% did not have a trusted person present during childbirth, 91.4% did not have the option to choose the position in which to give birth (horizontal or vertical), and 76.3% did not have the time for skin-to-skin contact with their newborn. Obstetric violence is expressed in feelings of fear, anguish, anxiety, frustration and loneliness, which puts maternal and neonatal health at risk.

postpartum women perceive obstetric violence on a psychological level due to the way they are treated by healthcare professionals and on a physical level due to the practices carried out during childbirth, which negatively affect their experiences, causing an emotional impact.