Assistência obstétrica no Brasil no contexto étnico-racial: revisão de literatura.

Abstract

Obstetric care for black women is marked by significant differences in the quality of care and the incidence of obstetric violence, compared to non-black women. This transforms the childbirth experience of Afro-descendant women. This study aims to contribute to the understanding of inequalities in obstetric care and to the promotion of more humanized care. Objective: To investigate how obstetric care is provided in Brazil under ethnic-racial conditions. Method: Descriptive study, of the literature review type, carried out from articles available in the Virtual Health Library and Google Scholar databases, from December 2024 to January 2025, with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The search strategy was carried out with two guiding questions, and the combination of descriptors with the Boolean operators “AND” and “OR”, initially selected by the titles, followed by reading the abstracts and, subsequently, the full paper, totaling 12 articles. Qualitative analysis, guided by the content analysis proposed by Bardin. Results: Five categories were constructed. Black women face a higher risk of violence during childbirth and more difficulties in accessing quality health services. In addition, race and related forms of intersectional vulnerability intensify maternal mortality among black women in Brazil. Despite advances in the humanization of childbirth, such as the creation of the Rede Cegonha and the participation of doulas in labor, overcoming the technocratic model is still a major challenge. Final considerations: Racial disparities persist in obstetric care, as if black women were invisible, in a denial of their rights. This makes evident the need for more equitable and respectful practices, and the participation of more humanized professionals in the delivery room.