Obstetric Violence Against Female Prisoners in Spain: Experiences and Violations of Rights

The aim of this study is to explore the conditions of pregnancy and gynaecological care for women in prison in Spain.

An exploratory qualitative research study was carried out, involving 125 semi-structured interviews with 79 prison professionals and 46 women prisoners in 16 prisons in Spain. The participants were selected through theoretical sampling. The study was based on a thematic analytical procedure inspired by grounded theory, which produced certain unexpected results that are the focus of this study.

The results of the interviews reveal that obstetric violence (OV) can take place through actors other than healthcare professionals, such as the police force when they guard and transfer pregnant inmates to obstetrics appointments or other inmates who require gynaecological services. During gynaecological examinations and tests, female inmates are kept in handcuffs or restraints and with police officers present in the room, violating their privacy and rights. The responses of gynaecologists to this situation are diverse.

Gynaecologists should be the ones with authority in the medical consultations of female prisoners, and they should not allow the humiliation and violation of the rights of these women, as stated in the United Nations Bangkok Rules. Most female inmates are not dangerous, with non-aggressive and non-violent offences, so they would not put the lives of healthcare personnel at risk, and the continuation of this practice is more a question of compliance with protocols than of real risk.