Childbirth abuse is rife. So why don’t we see it?
Findings from a survey on obstetric violence show that 1.79-million women who gave birth in the past 10 years in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng were mistreated. We unpack the numbers to show what they really mean. The post Childbirth abuse is rife. So why don’t we see it? appeared first on Bhekisisa .
In the past 10 years, an estimated 1.79-million women who gave birth in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng experienced mistreatment during their deliveries, according to a survey conducted by Social Surveys Africa and commissioned by the DG Murray Trust and Embrace. This amounts to around 490 women being abused during labor every day. However, only a third of these women were aware that their treatment was wrong, and a mere 7% reported the abuse.
These figures raise questions about the state of public maternity care and what can be done to address the issue. The survey revealed that a significant number of women were subjected to various forms of abuse, including physical, emotional, and verbal mistreatment. Despite this, the majority of women remained unaware that their treatment was unacceptable.
The survey's findings highlight the urgent need for better training and leadership in South African maternity care facilities.
Written by urgent.news from Bhekisisa's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
