“Hospitals have some procedures that seem dehumanising to me”: Experiences of abortion-related obstetric violence in Brazil, Chile and Ecuador

Resumen

Abortion-related obstetric violence is an under-documented global phenomenon that seems more frequent in settings that legally restrict abortion. Seeking to document and critically assess this phenomenon, we analyse testimonies of obstetric violence shared by abortion seekers in Latin America. Data were collected through the communication channels of Women Help Women (WHW), a feminist non-profit organisation that supports self-managed abortion where access is restricted. We conducted in-depth review of 20 cases of women from Brazil, Chile and Ecuador who reported being subjected to several forms of obstetric violence while seeking abortion and post-abortion care in formal health facilities. This obstetric violence included denial of care and failure to meet standards of care, criminalisation, gaslighting, physical violence, and discrimination. We show how abortion-related obstetric violence is used as a means to punish and control feminised subjects that contradict social and legal mandates regarding abortion and gender. We also highlight the role of modern legal and medical systems in reproducing oppressive structures that deny people proper care.