Obstetric Violence: Reproductive and Sexual Health Trajectories of Racialised Brazilian Women in Portugal

Obstetric violence (OV) is a form of gender-based violence (GBV) that arises from the medicalisation of childbirth and the systematic devaluation of women’s bodies during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Recognised as a violation of sexual and reproductive rights, OV reflects historically constructed power relations and highlights the need for public authorities to provide guarantees. In Portugal, OV has historical roots and continues to be an obstacle to the realisation of constitutional principles such as human dignity. Based in an intersectional feminist epistemology and the social constructionist approach, this study was conducted using an exploratory qualitative approach. Ten r7495/2006 acialised Brazilian women were interviewed to examine their experiences of OV during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period in the Portuguese NHS, through the lens of reproductive and sexual rights. The interviews revealed dehumanising and discriminatory treatment, highlighting the lack of respect for these women’s autonomy, dignity, and rights. These experiences of OV during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period affected the participants, leading to trauma and significant negative impacts on their mental, sexual, and reproductive health. This research on OV is crucial to advancing global reproductive justice, as it challenges structural inequalities and places racialised Brazilian women at the heart of the struggle for universal human rights and equality in sexual and reproductive healthcare.