Findings on Rights Violations and Obstetric Violence in Childbirth Processes in Turkey
Ayşe Gültekingil, the 2nd Chair of the Turkish Medical Association, stated that various types of obstetric violence occur in 76 percent of births in Turkey.
Ayşe Gültekingil, the 2nd Chair of the Turkish Medical Association, stated that rights violations and cases of obstetric violence are seen in a large proportion of births across the country, drawing attention to structural problems in the health system and sexist policies.
What is Obstetric Violence and What Situations Does It Cover
Subjecting women to medical intervention during childbirth without information, performing unnecessary procedures, scolding them, or physical violence leads to rights violations.
Physical and verbal violence, discrimination, privacy violations, and non-consensual medical interventions experienced by women are defined by the concept of obstetric violence.
Structural Problems and Administrative Pressures in the Health System
The focus on commercialization and profitability, strengthened with city hospitals, paves the way for procedures to be completed in a short time and for practices with high performance returns to be preferred.
The inability to allocate sufficient time to patients makes it difficult to give informed consent, while disruptions in the primary care and midwifery system increase unmonitored pregnancies.
Sexist Policies and the Objectification of the Female Body
The objectification of the female body and sexist policies directly prevent the exercise of fundamental rights such as the protection of privacy.
On the grounds that childbirth is a normal process, women are expected to normalize their pain and loss of privacy, and to accept interventions without questioning.
Research Data and Concrete Forms of Violence
It is stated that some research in Turkey has determined that a type of obstetric violence is experienced in 76 percent of births.
In the process, along with physical violence, situations such as humiliation, threats, examinations without consent, fundal pressure, and failure to protect privacy are observed.
Call for System Change for Rights-Based Childbirth
To combat obstetric violence, both women and healthcare workers need to be informed about their legal rights.
It is important to avoid unnecessary interventions, take comfort-enhancing measures, and provide psychosocial support.
Turkish Medical Association Application and Evaluation Processes
It is emphasized that women who are exposed to obstetric violence during childbirth must record what they experience.
The situations of women applying to the TMA are meticulously evaluated by relevant unit coordination boards and honor boards.