Investigating Obstetric Violence in Ecuador: A Cross-Sectional Study Spanning the Last Several Years

Abstract

This pilot cross-sectional study was designed to determine the profile of obstetric violence in Ecuador in recent years. An online survey was conducted between March 2022 and April 2022, including women over 18 years who granted their informed consent to participate (n = 1598). We used non-probabilistic sampling to obtain our sample. Fisher’s exact test was performed to assess the association between violence and type of birth, healthcare facility, and education level. Out of the women who participated in the study, 89.2% (n = 1426) identified themselves as Mestiza. Additionally, 88.3% (n = 1411) had completed university-level education. The majority of the participants, specifically 63.6% (n = 1017), received their care in public institutions, and 98.2% (n = 1569) reported structural negligence, while 74.5% (n = 1190) reported violation of their right to information. The entire sample affirmed to have experienced violation of the right of presence. This report shows that obstetric violence is present in Ecuador in different ways and that women experience negligence and violation of their right to receive ethical healthcare during childbirth.