Women's Feelings Research Articles

I'm up here! Sexual objectification leads to feeling ostracized.

Theory and research demonstrate that women are frequently the targets of sexually objectifying behavior, viewed and treated by others as mere objects for pleasure and use. When sexually objectified, attention is principally focused on scrutinizing and valuing their physical features, whereas their internal attributes (e.g., thoughts, feelings, personhood) may be largely ignored (Bartky, 1990). Although the processes and negative effects associated with sexual objectification have been examined extensively, no work has examined the "ignoring" component of sexual objectification. We reasoned that sexually objectifying a woman by ignoring and devaluing some of her personal attributes or features is akin to partial ostracism. Although sexual objectification and partial ostracism may seem to comprise opposite characteristics (i.e., attention vs. ignoring), we posit that sexually objectifying a woman, much like partial ostracism, involves ignoring some of her internal attributes (e.g., thoughts, feelings, voice). Across 4 studies, we expected and found evidence that a sexual objectification experience (vs. control conditions) resulted in women feeling sexually objectified, which led to increased feelings of ostracism, which, in turn, threatened and lowered women's fundamental need satisfaction (i.e., belonging, control, self-esteem, and meaningful existence). Our findings suggest that not only do women suffer the adverse consequences of being sexually objectified, but when they are objectified, they can also experience the added negative effects associated with being partially ostracized, a novel finding that contributes to both the sexual objectification and ostracism literature. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Women's perception of choice and support in making decisions regarding management of breech presentation

Background Professional guidelines recommend midwives and obstetricians actively involve women in making decisions about their care. To date, breech research has focused mainly on assessing the effectiveness of different management options. Aim This research explores women's experience of breech presentation and their perception of choice and support in making decisions with regards to breech management. Methods This study uses a phenomenological research design. Semi-structured interviews took place in hospital or women's homes. A total of six postnatal women who were diagnosed with breech presentation after 36 weeks' gestation took part in the study. Data was analysed using Colaizzi's method. Findings A total of 84 significant statements were clustered into four main emerging themes. These include women's feelings, their healthcare expectations, their preferences and their values. Results Breech discussions mostly occurred between obstetricians and women. These primarily focused on external cephalic version, Elective Lower Segment Caesarean Section and Breech Vaginal Birth. These options did not always become choices available to women.

Kurunthogai Padalgalil Ulaviyal Parvai

The literature also serves as a testament to the way of life of the ancients. Poets’ express intuitions with aesthetic perspective. Whiskers. It is not possible to express oneself so clearly, even if one enjoys the interiors without transforming one's inner feelings. Explore the pantry in a more subtle way than that. They specialize in making other people understand what they think they are trying to visualize, just as men's feel a woman's feelings and women's feelings. Poets with such subtle creativity are also seen as psychoanalysts. Various studies have been performed on the Sangam literature. These studies are performed on human behaviors and the flow of the mind. The psychoanalytic functions of the characters in the short stories are explained psychologically.

A comprehensive interpretation of Societal security in a case study of Iran

Societal security theories emphasize the identity and values of society as the basis of the social existence on which the cohesion and survival of society depend. Societal security is a contextual concept that has been the subject of many studies in Iran. However, with a diversity of research, each investigating various aspects of the concept, a comprehensive definition of societal security has never been achieved. Adopting a descriptive-analytical approach and using the meta-analysis method, the present article tries to collect the diverse range of researches in this field and systematically analyze the results and provide a comprehensive interpretation of this concept in Iran. Data were collected by a documentary method. According to the findings, societal security studies are categorized into eight themes: the feeling of security, Islamic values, police, urban space, mass media, women, family, and national and ethnic identity. The presentation of a comprehensive interpretation of societal security was followed by placing the scope of the basic concerns of society under the expanded concept of identity - modern, Islamic and Iranian. The result is that the identity elements of Iranian society is the basis of societal security and the imbalance between the layers of identity causes societal insecurity.

Voting in referendums increases internal political efficacy of men but not women: evidence from Ireland's 2018 abortion referendum

ABSTRACT Will experience with direct democracy influence men's and women's political beliefs differently? Despite the closed gender gap in voter turnout, women remain less interested in politics and participate less frequently in non-voting activities than men. Scholars find women's lower sense of internal political efficacy as the origins of these gender gaps. In this paper, I examine whether the experience of direct participation in political decision-making alters women's feelings of internal political efficacy differently from it does men's. Building on the insights from the literature on the gendered psychological traits, I theorize that voting in referendums will promote men's internal political efficacy but not women's, because of women's greater susceptibility to the psychological costs of participation in referendums. Using an original panel survey conducted shortly before and after the 2018 abortion referendum in Ireland, I demonstrate the presence of the gendered effect in voting in referendums: While men reported increased internal political efficacy after voting in the referendum, women did not experience any meaningful change, even though the issue magnified women's psychological engagement with the vote. My findings suggest that differences in psychological dispositions between men and women create gendered reactions to citizen experience in the political arena.

Feelings of Parental Authenticity Moderate Concurrent Links Between Breastfeeding Experience and Symptoms of Postpartum Depression

A negative breastfeeding experience is a contextual risk factor for the development of postpartum depressive symptoms among mothers. Many current interventions targeted at disrupting this association rely on the ability to make breastfeeding experiences positive. As a beginning step toward identifying alternative approaches, we investigated a potential psychological buffer of the negative relation between breastfeeding experience and symptoms of postpartum depression: feeling authentic in one's role as a parent. Authenticity appears to enhance well-being and buffer negative outcomes more generally, but has largely gone unaddressed in mothers, particularly during the critical peripartum period when depressive symptoms are at increased prevalence. We tested whether three facets of felt authenticity in the parent role (authentic living, acceptance of external influence, and self-alienation) moderated the association between satisfaction with breastfeeding experience and postpartum depressive symptoms in mothers (N = 92, 81% White, 85% non-Hispanic, college-educated, Mage = 30.49). We found that mothers who felt high in authentic living in the parent role showed fewer depressive symptoms when breastfeeding experiences were positive. In addition, we found that the association between negative breastfeeding experience and greater postpartum depression was mitigated when feelings of self-alienation in the parent role, or the sense that one is unaware of or disconnected from who “she really is” as a mother, were low. This work suggests that enhancing women's feelings of connectedness to “who they truly are” as a mother may be protective against some of the negative mental health effects linked to problems with breastfeeding.

The social context of retrospective-prospective changes in pregnancy desire during the transition to adulthood: The role of fathers and intimate relationships

Background: Researchers have questioned the accuracy of retrospective measures of unintended pregnancy, which ask women whether they wanted a pregnancy before it was conceived. Objective: We investigated whether pregnant women's retrospective recollections of their pre-conception desires for pregnancy were shaped by intimate relationships, their own reactions, and their perceptions of their partners' reactions to their pregnancies. Methods: We used the Relationship Dynamics and Social Life (RDSL) study, which included weekly survey interviews with 971 young women, of whom 175 experienced 203 pregnancies during the 2.5-year study period. We estimated logistic regression models of whether women’s retrospective recollections of their pre-conception desires were stable, shifted positive, or shifted negative compared to their prospectively reported desires, along with formal mediation tests of potential mechanisms. Results: Women were more likely to remember their undesired pregnancies as desired before conception if they themselves reacted happily to the pregnancy, they were married or engaged, or they perceived their partner as reacting positively. The association with perceiving her partner as positive was mediated by her own happiness about the pregnancy. Conclusions: Retrospective recollections of pre-conception desire at least partially represent women's current feelings about a pregnancy. Post-conception happiness about a pregnancy may identify mothers and children whose health and well-being are at risk, but prospective measures are necessary to evaluate whether women got what they wanted. Contribution: This paper directly demonstrates that a woman's feelings about a specific pregnancy change over time alongside her experiences with the father of her pregnancy after conception.

The Effect of Sexual Assertiveness Training on women’s genital self-image: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background & aim: The genital self-image refers to women's attitudes, beliefs, and feelings about their genitalia and genital system that are involved in sexual intercourse. Sexual assertiveness is individuals' ability to meet their sexual needs. Considering the dearth of study on women�s genital self-image, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a sexual assertiveness training program on women�s genital self-image. Methods: This parallel randomized clinical trial was performed on 60 married women referred to Imam Reza Health Center in Mashhad during September and October 2016. A sample size of 30 subjects was assigned to intervention and control groups. The training classes including two 90 minutes sessions were held once a week for 2 consecutive weeks. The tools for data collection consisted of Hulbert sexual assertiveness and women�s genital self-image questionnaires. A pretest was completed in two groups at the beginning of the study and a post-test was done for both groups one week after training the intervention group. To analyze data student t-test, paired t-test, Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon, Chi-square and one-way analysis of variance were used. Results: The score of genital self-image was the same in two groups before carrying out the intervention (z= -1.762, p= 0.780). However, following the implementation of training program the two groups showed significant differences and the score of genital self-image  was higher in intervention group (z = - 4.077, p E� 0.001).  Conclusion: Sexual assertiveness training can improve women�s genital self-image. So it is recommended to tailor training programs to enhance women's genital self-image, particularly, in women with sexual dysfunction in order to improve their sexual health.

Feature Article-Continuing Education Module-Reimagining Postpartum Support.

This article introduces the author's emerging new paradigm ("perinatal participation") that re-imagines postpartum support by helping expectant parents have more peace of mind, confidence, self-compassion, and emotional wellbeing over the course of their perinatal journeys, with special focus on feeling more prepared for all that happens after baby arrives. The author's work rests on the shoulders of her 1992 book, Mothering the New Mother: Women's Feelings and Needs After Childbirth. Perceiving a new urgent need to support expectant parents three decades later (the need to alleviate the high stress levels in expectant parents she was talking to) the author explored filtering the expectant and new parent's experience through what she calls a "peace-of-mind lens."

Hubungan Status Emosional dengan Derajat Dismenore pada Remaja Putri di SMKN 12 Loa Buan Samarinda

ABSTRACTBackground: Dysmenorrhea is a painful sensation, cramping in the lower abdomen which is often accompanied by other symptoms, such as sweating, headache, nausea, diarrhea, and tremors, all of which occur before or during menstruation. Teenage girls who experience dysmenorrhea can interfere with social or physical activities because when they are in pain, sufferers tend to be silent and even don't want to interact with other people, they tend to be more emotional. Emotional embodiment part of what a woman feels, a reaction to a certain event or situation. Emotional status and dysmenorrhea in women is a conscious experience that influences bodily activities and is psychologically able to influence a woman's emotions. Objective: To identify emotional status and to analyze the relationship between emotional status and the degree of dysmenorrhea in young girls. Methods: Quantitative research, descriptive analytic research design with cross sectional research design with proportionate stratified random sampling technique, the sample of this study was 54 students of class X SMKN 12 Loa Buah Samarinda who experienced dysmenorrheaResults: Variable emotional status obtained positive emotional classification 33 (61, 1%) and negative emotions 21 (38.9%) respondents. Variable The degree of dysmenorrhea was classified as mild 35 (64.8%), moderate 12 (22.2%), severe 5 (9.3%) and unbearable 2 (3.7%). The test used Pearson Chi-square results obtained P value = 0.402, the significant level (α) is 0.05, then p> from α. This result means that Ho is accepted, there is no relationship between emotional status and the degree of dysmenorrhea in young girls at SMKN 12 loa buah samarinda. Conclusion: There is no relationship between emotional status and the degree of dysmenorrhea in adolescents at SMKN 12 Loa Buah Samarinda

VIRGINIA WOOLF'S NOVEL “MRS. DALLOWAY”

Following work is dedicated to the novel “Mrs.Dalloway”. The main characters are emotionally endowed Dreamer Clarissa Dalloway and humble servant Septimus Warren-Smith, who was a contusion in the first World War described only one day in June, 1923 year. In fact, the novel “Mrs.Dalloway” is the "flow of consciousness" of the protagonists Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren – Smith, their Big Ben clock is divided into certain peace with a bang. Virginia Woolf believes that "life" is manifested in the form of consciousness, death and time, she focuses her essays on such issues as the role of a woman in family and society, the role of a woman in the upbringing of children, the way a woman feels about the world, the relationship between a modern man and a woman.

Exploring women\u2019s thoughts on self-weighing during pregnancy: results of the Self-Weighing in Pregnancy: Experiences (SWIPE) study

BackgroundExcess gestational weight gain is common and an important risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Regular weighing can be used to assess and manage weight gain, but NICE guidelines do not recommend routine weighing during antenatal care. Trials that have tested the effectiveness of self-weighing to manage GWG have been unsuccesful in engaging women in regular self-weighing, although the reasons for lack of engagement are not fully understood. This study aimed to understand why this lack of engagement occurred by exploring the naturally occurring thoughts and feelings of pregnant women (9 to 15 weeks gestational age) who were asked to weigh themselves at home.MethodsTwenty-five women were recruited to take part. Participants completed short questionnaires at their first-trimester and 20-week scans. After recruitment, participants were asked to weigh themselves at roughly the same time each week for 8 weeks. Whilst they weighed themselves they were asked to audio-record their current weight and describe any thoughts or feelings that occurred as they weighed themselves. These audio recordings were then sent to researchers using a secure messaging service.ResultsMost of the recruited women (56%) were unaware of guidelines for gestational weight gain, and only 40% could identify the ideal rate of GWG for their BMI group. Thematic analysis of the think-aloud recordings resulted in three main themes: “understanding weight gain in pregnancy”, “taking action to prevent weight gain” and “reactions to self-weighing”. Overall, there was a relatively positive response to self-weighing and some participants used self-weighing to reflect on the reasons for weight gain and plan actions they could take to avoid excess gain. Negative emotional responses tended to be related to a lack of guidance about what level of weight gain or loss was “healthy”, or to other worries about the pregnancy. Of the women recruited who submitted at least one think aloud recording (n 10), 80% found self-weighing to be useful, and said they would likely continue to self-weigh at home.ConclusionsWomen had complex emotions about self-weighing during pregnancy but overall found it useful, suggesting it could be encouraged as part of self-regulatory interventions to control GWG. Clear guidelines about appropriate gestational weight gain could help to reduce anxiety.Trial registrationThe study was prospectively registered with ISRCTN ISRCTN10035244.

Satisfaction with appearance and sexual satisfaction in women with severe burn injuries.

Burn, particularly in women, can cause a variety of difficulties. Women's feelings of themselves and of life satisfaction are affected by their body dimensions and satisfaction with appearance, which can be significant predictors of their sexual satisfaction. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between satisfaction with appearance and sexual satisfaction among female patients with severe burn. The present study, adopted a descriptive-analytic approach and used a convenience sampling technique, to select 180 female patients Data collection instruments included a demographic questionnaire, the index of sexual satisfaction (ISS), and the satisfaction with appearance scale (SWAP). The results of this study showed that about 82% of women with severe burn injuries, had a lower level of sexual satisfaction. It was observed that satisfaction with appearance had a significant negative relationship with sexual satisfaction in women with burns (P < 0.001). According to the results of the present study, in order to improve appearance satisfaction and consequently sexual satisfaction, intervention attempts are essential. The findings of this study may have practical applications in the formulation of plans for patients with burn injuries.

Effect of Sexual Esteem and Sexual Communication on the Relationship Between Body Image and Sexual Function in Chinese Heterosexual Women

BackgroundSexual self-esteem and communication on sexual issues with a partner contribute greatly to an individual's quality of sex life; however, their effects on the relationship between body image and sexual function are underexplored. AimTo test a serial mediating pathway of sexual self-esteem and sexual communication underlying the relationship between body image and sexual function. MethodsA total of 510 women aged 18–53 years (mean = 28, SD = 5.5) who were involved in an intimate relationship completed an online survey. OutcomesWomen's (i) body appreciation, (ii) body image self-consciousness during sexual intimacy, (iii) sexual self-esteem, (iv) dyadic sexual communication, (v) negative disclosure apprehension, and (vi) sexual function were assessed. ResultsFindings revealed that sexual self-esteem and dyadic sexual communication played a serial mediating role in the relationship between body image (body appreciation and body image self-consciousness during sexual intimacy) and sexual function, and the relationship between body image and arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. Sexual self-esteem and negative disclosure apprehension also played a serial mediating role in the relationship between body image and sexual pain. In addition, dyadic sexual communication played a unique mediating role in the relationship between body image and sexual function, which is isolated from the effect of sexual self-esteem. Clinical ImplicationsWomen's sexual self-esteem and sexual communication with their partner can make beneficial contributions to the relationship between body image and sexual function. Therefore, promoting women's positive body image, sexual self-esteem, and sexual communication skills deserves attention from women themselves and clinicians. Strengths & LimitationsThis study used a robust method of data analysis to test the mediating effect of sexual self-esteem and sexual communication to clarify the mechanism underlying the relationship between body image and sexual function among Chinese women; however, causal conclusions cannot be drawn. Furthermore, various demographics including participants' age, education level, sexual orientation—factors such as relationship status and length, relationship functioning, and partner-related variables—and other aspects of sexual self-concept and sexual communication should be examined in future research. ConclusionThe current study indicates that women's thoughts and feelings regarding sexuality and communicating sexual issues with their partner are associated closely with their body image and sexual function.T Wu, Y Zheng. Effect of Sexual Esteem and Sexual Communication on the Relationship Between Body Image and Sexual Function in Chinese Heterosexual Women. J Sex Med 2021;XX:XXX–XXX.

A systematic meta-thematic synthesis to examine the views and experiences of women following water immersion during labour and waterbirth.

To gather, quality assess, synthesize and interpret the views, feeling, and experiences of women who used water immersion during labour and/or birth. A systematic meta-thematic synthesis and GRADE-CERQual. We searched MEDLINE, CINHAL, PsychINFO, AMED, EMBASE (MIDIRS only), LILACS, AJOL. Additional searches were carried out using Ethos (thesis database), cross-referencing against Google Scholar and citation chasing. Searches were carried out in August 2019, updated February 2020. Studies that met the selection criteria were appraised for quality. Data were extracted from the studies using meta-thematic analytical techniques; coding, descriptive findings, and analytical findings. The descriptive findings were subjected to confidence assessments using GRADE-CERQual. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Nine key statements of findings were generated - one had high confidence, three moderate, three low and one very low confidence in the findings. The analytical findings generated three main themes: Liberation and Self-Emancipation, Synergy, transcendence and demarcation and Transformative birth and beyond. Overall, women experienced warm water immersion during labour and/or birth positively. Both the water and pool itself, facilitated women's physical and psychological needs during labour and/or birth, including offering effective analgesia. Our findings indicated that birthing pools are versatile tools that provide for a space that women can adapt and influence to best suit their individual needs. Women who used warm water immersion for labour and/or birth describe liberating and transformative experiences of welcoming their babies into the world. They were empowered, liberated, and satisfied. We recommend maternity professionals and services offer water immersion as a standard method of pain relief during labour/birth. Understanding women's experiences of labour and birth will inform future clinical practice. Midwives are optimally positioned to enhance women's access to water immersion. These findings have implications for education, guideline, and policy development as well as clinical practice.

Women's Daily Positive Experiences and Engagement in US Male-Dominated Academic Majors

Women's Daily Positive Experiences and Engagement in US Male-Dominated Academic Majors Katie M. Lawson (bio) Women in male-dominated majors (MDMs), such as computer science, experience higher attrition rates than their male peers (Chen & Soldner, 2013). According to social cognitive career theory (SCCT; Lent et al., 1994), career decisions are the result of the interactions among the environment, personal attributes, and overt behaviors. Personal attributes, such as gender, have implications for the environment (e.g., academic department) of an individual making career decisions; research supports this tenet. Women in MDMs retrospectively report via surveys more negative events, sexism for instance, and fewer positive events, such as support from male peers in MDMs and female peers in gender-neutral majors (GNMs) like history (Ceci et al., 2009; Dresden et al., 2017). Observational research has shown that women in male-dominated fields interact less with instructors (Ceci et al., 2009), and experimental research has shown that women receive less career mentoring due to discrimination (Moss-Racusin et al., 2012). Researchers have mainly collected data at one time point; students' experiences, however, change daily (London, Rosenthal, & Gonzalez, 2011). To address this gap, we used experience sampling methodology (ESM), which involves participants' completing multiple surveys throughout the day on current experiences. ESM is commonly used in stress research, yet rarely utilized when examining the experiences of women in MDMs. We consider it particularly beneficial, because many behaviors that make women feel welcome or unwelcome are minor behaviors that accumulate over time (Lawson et al., 2018; for a review of the benefits of ESM, see London, Rosenthal, & Gonzalez, 2011). Research also supports a tenet of SCCT that the environment has implications for personal attributes, such as major engagement. Qualitative research with samples of women in MDMs and intervention studies have shown that inclusive class examples and supportive behaviors of professors and peers have positive implications for women's feelings of belonging, identification with major, and retention (e.g., Fisher & Margolis, 2002; Lawson et al., 2018; Ramsey et al., 2013). Research is needed to compare the strength of these associations for women in MDMs to their peers (men in MDMs and women in GNMs). [End Page 112] To address gaps in the literature, we used ESM to compare the daily positive major-related events for women in MDMs to events experienced by men in MDMs and women in GNMs in terms of their frequency and association with major engagement. Similar to past researchers on the topic, we treated gender as dichotomous (male/female). We predicted that: (Hypothesis 1) women in MDMs will experience fewer daily positive major-related events, relative to their peers; (Hypothesis 2) for all students, experiencing a positive event will predict more student engagement; and (Hypothesis 3) the association between positive major-related events and engagement will be weaker for women in MDMs compared to their peers (because women in MDMs are in environments where they may also be dealing with more negative experiences, less support, and combat stereotypes they are not skilled in these fields; Ceci et al., 2009; Dresden et al., 2018). METHOD Participants and Procedure Data were part of a larger study examining the daily experiences of women at a midsize, Mid-western university that typically enrolls approximately 20,000 undergraduate students (79.83% White, 11.76% Black, 3.36% Hispanic, 2.52% Asian, 1.68% mixed race, 0.84% other; 24.17% first-year students, 30.83% sophomores, 30.00% juniors, 25.00% seniors). Participants (N = 120) included 40 women and 40 men from MDMs (at least 67% of majors are men nationally and at this university) and 40 women from GNMs (40%–60% of majors are women). Participants were recruited via targeted emails (based on students' gender and major listing with the university, obtained from the office responsible for university statistic fact books, which conceptualizes gender dichotomously), flyers, in-class presentations, and university-wide emails. Interested students emailed the study coordinator, reporting their gender (all applicants reported male or female) and major; within one to two weeks they were then scheduled for an in-person assessment (1 to 4 participants per session) when they completed a survey (not used in this study), registered their smartphones for...

Did COVID-19 Affect the Division of Labor within the Household? Evidence from Two Waves of the Pandemic in Italy

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on families’ lives, with parents all over the world struggling to meet the increased demands of housework, childcare and home-schooling. Much of the additional burden has been shouldered by women, particularly in countries with a traditionally uneven division of household labor. Yet the dramatic increase in remote work from home since the pandemic also has the potential to increase paternal involvement in family life and thus to redress persistent domestic gender role inequalities. This effect depends on the working arrangements of each partner, whether working remotely, working at their usual workplace or ceasing work altogether. We examine the role of working arrangements during the pandemic on the traditional division of household labor in Italy using survey data from interviews with a representative sample of working women conducted during the two waves of COVID-19 (April and November 2020). Our data show that the gender gap in household care related activities was widest during the first wave of the pandemic, and although it was less pronounced during the second wave, it was still higher than pre-COVID-19. The time spent by women on housework, childcare, and assisting their children with distance learning did not depend on their partners’ working arrangements. Conversely, men spent fewer hours helping with the housework and distance learning when their partners were at home. It is interesting, however, that although men who worked remotely or not at all did devote more time to domestic chores and child care, the increased time they spent at home did not seem to lead to a reallocation of couples’ roles in housework and child care. Finally, we find that working arrangements are linked to women’s feelings of uncertainty, with heterogeneous effects by level of education.

Assessment of respectful maternity care during childbirth: Experiences among mothers in Manipur.

The relationship between the lack of quality care and adverse maternal outcomes is being highlighted globally. Respectful maternity care includes respect for women autonomy, dignity, feelings, privacy, choices and freedom from ill treatment, coercion, and consideration for personal preferences including option for companionship during the maternity care. This study planned to determine the prevalence and types of disrespect and abuse among mothers during childbirth and its associated factors. This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 231 women having children <2 years, who had undergone institutional deliveries and accessing immunization clinics during October to December 2018 using a semi-structured questionnaire adapted from the Person-Centered Maternity Care Scale, a validated instrument which gives a holistic measure of women's experiences during childbirth wherein the questions were grouped under seven domains. : The mean (standard deviation) age of the respondents was 28.9 ± 5.8 years. The prevalence of any form of abuse present was 96.5% with the highest found in "Facility and Environment" Domain (77.5%). Women delivering in public tertiary care facility were significantly more likely to face more abuse in the domains of "Dignity and Respect," "Support and Care," "Facility and Environment," "Predictability and Transparency," as compared to other types of health facilities (P < 0.05). : Nearly almost all of the respondents (96.5%) faced some form of abuse in one domain or the other. There is a need for greater action, dialog, research, and advocacy on this important public health issue for promoting dignified maternal health-care services.

Experiences and attitudes of midwives during the birth of a pregnant woman with COVID-19 infection: A qualitative study

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has become one of the most important threats to global health. Midwives are at the core of the response to the pandemic. Women still need midwifery support and care. The work of midwives is acknowledged as emotionally demanding, and their welfare may be compromised by a range of workplace and personal stress factors. AimTo investigate the experiences and attitudes of midwives who have provided pregnancy and childbirth care to women with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection. MethodsA qualitative phenomenological study was carried out in two Spanish tertiary hospitals. Fourteen midwives were recruited by purposive sampling technique. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews and analysed using Giorgi’s descriptive method. FindingsThree themes emerged: “challenges and differences when working in a pandemic”, “emotional and mental health and wellbeing” and “women’s emotional impact perceived by midwives”. Midwives pointed to several factors tied to a safe, supportive and empowering work place: support from staff and managers, access to adequate personal protective equipment, and reliable guidelines. They also dealt with professional and personal challenges during the pandemic, showing feelings of fear, anxiety, uncertainty, discomfort, lack of support, and knowledge. Finally, midwives expressed their concerns about the feelings of pregnant women with COVID-19, such as fear, anxiety, and loneliness. ConclusionThe results of this study show some of the challenges for midwives during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the value of a good communication, emotional support, and stress management, to provide woman-centred care.

Women's Wearable Security and Safety Device

In today’s world, one of the major issues that women all across the globe face is threats to their safety and security. This paper presents a quick safety device that responds immediately when women are in danger. The device is equipped with a button and on pressing the button, a “HELP” message is sent along with the location coordinates to the trusted contacts via an SMS. The device is also capable of capturing an image and a video which can then be analyzed to identify the perpetuator. When a woman feels threatened or she finds herself in a compromising situation, she can use this device for her safety.