Abstract
In Brazil obstetric violence has been researched since the 1980s. However, in the nineties the phenomenon started to have a more prominent position. The form of violence analysed in this study refers to a covert violence, called “perfect violence”. This essay reflects about the occurrence of perfect violence in obstetrics, especially regarding the subtleties of medical discourse, which can disguise this aggression as a form of care. This type of violence may sound as if it was a concern with the patient’s health on behalf of the doctor, but it can make the patient submit herself to the medical recommendations in a passive manner, believing it is the best for her and her baby. In this way, violence is disguised as good practice, allegedly aiming at what is best for the patient. In practicing perfect violence, the doctor can interfere in the delivery outcome. The caesarean “epidemic” in Brazil has been justified by doctors as the woman’s preference, but research undermines this hypothesis and raises the reflection: who is in fact choosing the type of childbirth? This essay shows us that observing the subtleties of medical discourse can help answering this question.
Keywords:
Obstetric violence; Discourse; Childbirth; Caesarean; Doctor-patient relationship