Divinization, pilgrimage, and social inequality: Experiences of women in the access to obstetric assistance

Abstract

Objectives: to understand the experiences of women from Brazilian northeastern semi-arid in accessing obstetric care. Methods: qualitative research conducted by the methodological framework of ethno-nursing, carried out with 13 key informants in a public maternity hospital located in the Cariri region of Ceará in the Brazilian Northeast semiarid. The Observation–Participation–Reflection enablers was adopted for data collection, with obser-vations recorded in a field diary and individual interviews, such as “tell me about”. The immersion process in the field lasted five months. The empirical material was submitted to procedures of the data analysis guide for ethno-nursing. Results: from the patterns that emerged empirically, three cultural themes became evident: “It has to be delivered in the hands of God”: discursive constructions about prenatal care; "We stay in this endless coming and going": antepartum pilgrimage; "If I were rich, I wouldn't be here": attention received in accessing maternity. Conclusions: in the cultural scenario analyzed, women were inserted in the context of clinical and social weaknesses, violation of rights and dignity, resorting to divine designs in the face of difficulties in accessing obstetric services and pilgrimage to guarantee consulta-tions, exams, and hospitalization for childbirth.