WHO Statement on Respectful Maternity Care (2014)
Respectful birth care is a human right. The US has no laws protecting it.
WHO declared respectful care during childbirth a fundamental human right. 7+ Latin American countries have legislated against obstetric violence. The US has zero such legislation.
In 2014, the World Health Organization issued a formal statement declaring respectful care during childbirth a fundamental human right. The statement followed a decade of research documenting that mistreatment during birth was widespread enough across health systems to be considered a public health issue. The WHO defines respectful care to include freedom from physical abuse, freedom from non-consented care, freedom from discrimination, and the right to be treated with dignity.
More than seven Latin American countries have since enacted specific legislation criminalizing obstetric violence. The United States has none. There is no federal protection, no enforceable standard, and no formal definition of what constitutes mistreatment in a US labor and delivery setting.
2014
WHO declaration year
7+
Countries with laws since
0
US federal protections
None
Enforceable US standard
Why it matters
The international community has named what is happening and legislated against it. The US has done neither, which leaves laboring women without legal protection inside hospitals.
This is one finding from the research library behind How to Birth a Mother. Everything here traces back to a study, a dataset, or a systematic review.