Nobumpnocare: Cristina Ganz on Informed Consent in Perinatal Care скачать в хорошем качестве

Nobumpnocare: Cristina Ganz on Informed Consent in Perinatal Care

According to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being, access to information is a fundamental patient right. However, studies indicate that in obstetric- gynaecological settings, women often receive insufficient information, and consent is frequently not obtained before medical procedures (Bohren et al., 2015). This presentation explores how gender biases shape medical communication and proposes strategies inspired by the philosophy of language to ensure consent is genuinely ethical and practical. Indeed, this lack of informed consent is often justified by healthcare professionals who claim that the severe pain of labour and delivery prevents women from understanding information and making informed decisions. However, this reasoning is not applied to other patients experiencing pain, suggesting that gender biases contribute to the perception of pregnant individuals as epistemically incompetent (van der Pijl et al., 2023). To address this, some scholars recommend providing information before labour and adopting an individualised approach (ibidem). However, communication barriers persist due to factors such as the use of technical language. This presentation explores how the philosophy of language can help overcome these barriers and improve informed consent practices. Nevertheless, following Lee (2023), I argue that enhancing consent procedures alone is insufficient if the epistemic imbalance between healthcare professionals and birthing individuals remains unchallenged. Based on evidence from four focus groups with Italian midwives, I demonstrate that information in obstetric-gynaecological settings is often manipulated before labour and delivery. This manipulation aligns with the concept of testimonial void (Carmona, 2021), a form of epistemic injustice (Fricker, 2007), in which a speaker withholds information from a hearer due to unfounded prejudices about their ability to comprehend or utilise it. Such practices undermine the ethical foundation of informed consent. Acknowledging women as epistemic agents is essential to ensuring that informed consent is a practice that respects autonomy and decision-making.