Medical Negligence in Terms of Labor and Childbirth

Pregnancy and labor are arguably one of the most painful things women have to endure. It often requires many medical precautions and procedures and the emotions that surround a person as they’re giving birth is a whirlwind. The last thing that women prisoners want when they’re in labor is to be shackled, but unfortunately, this is a reality in many places. Even though this practice is technically illegal in many states in the United States, the practice still occurs. For example, an article in the Guardian elaborates on how “the Correctional Association interviewed over 950 women in prison, including 27 who gave birth after the anti-

shackling law went into effect. Nearly half had been shackled while being transported to the hospital to give birth, and nearly all had been shackled at some point in their pregnancy” (Law, 2015). This shows how even with a law in place, this practice is still prevalent. Shackling is an immoral thing to do when someone is giving birth, but the dismissive nature of the way prisons treat their pregnant prisoners doesn’t

end there. The Guardian explains how “more than half of the women who spoke with the Correctional Association had similar experiences of nurses dismissing their symptoms or conducting superficial exams when they reported being in labor” (Law, 2015). This is one of the major problems when discussing childbirth as their cries for help aren’t taken seriously. If someone didn’t heed what the prisoner was saying and they had to deliver the child by themselves, that would be a massive problem as proper medical care is best for a safe delivery for both child and mother. This can cause either the child or mother to be gravely injured, going against the basic rights of the prisoner as a person and woman.

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