"Respectful maternity care” or “disrespect and abuse during maternity care”; experience of pregnant women in Ogbomoso, South West Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Globally, “Respectful maternity care” is gaining muchdeserved recognition and attention from experts working in the field of reproductive health. Disrespect and abuse have been common in maternal and child health care delivery, hence deterring women in seeking proper health services. Objectives: This article places emphasis on the understanding of the experience of respectful maternity care or disrespect and abuse during maternity care in the past amongst women currently receiving antenatal care in Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Southwest Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 438 women receiving antenatal care in Bowen University Teaching Hospital to determine whether they had experienced disrespect and abuse duringmulti facility based survey conducted in Burkina Faso on Respectful Maternity Care, the Key issues included good reception, humanistic maternity care in the past or not. Results: The study showed that 93.2% (408) of the respondents had experienced one form of disrespect and abuse. Sociodemographic variables were a significant contributor to the knowledge and experience of respectful maternity care. Discussion: There is an important need to ensure a reorientation of healthcare workers and health education to the members of the community.