Dalia Falcon-Carrillo, Maestría en Bioética, Universidad de la Salud (UNISA), Ciudad de México, México
Obstetric violence constitutes a form of institutional and gender-based violence exercised by healthcare personnel. It is manifested in the objectification of the pregnant body and its physiological processes through practices of medicalization, pathologization, and institutionalization that diminish women’s autonomy. Understanding the bioethical conflicts related to obstetric violence is key to designing action measures aimed at ensuring respect for reproductive rights. Obstetric violence has a direct impact on women’s quality of life and on maternal mortality in Mexico, making it a public health and social justice issue.
Keywords: Obstetric violence. Woman. Autonomy. Physician. Medicalization.