Abstract
Background
Privacy is related to a person’s sense of self and the need to be respected and it
is a key factor that contributes to women’s satisfaction with their birth experiences.
Aim
To examine the meaning of privacy for Jordanian women during labour and birth.
Method
A qualitative interpretive design was used. Data were collected through face-to-face
semi-structured interviews with 27 Jordanian women. Of these women, 20 were living
in Jordan while seven were living in Australia (with birthing experience in both Jordan
and Australia). Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.
Results
The phrase ‘there is no privacy’ captured women’s experience of birth in Jordanian
public hospitals and in some private hospital settings. Women in public hospitals
in Jordan had to share a room during their labour with no screening. This experience
meant that they were, “lying there for everyone to see”, “not even covered by a sheet”
and with doctors and others coming in and out of their room. This experience contrasted
with birth experienced in Australia.
Conclusions
This study explicates the meaning of privacy to Jordanian women and demonstrates the
impact of the lack of privacy during labour and birth. Seeking a birth in a private
hospital in Jordan was one of the strategies that women used to gain privacy, although
this was not always achieved. Some strategies were identified to facilitate privacy,
such as being covered by a sheet; however, even simple practices are difficult to
change in a patriarchal, medically dominated maternity system.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 02, 2019
Accepted:
October 27,
2019
Received in revised form:
September 20,
2019
Received:
February 21,
2019
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
