Changing Birth in the Andes: Culture, Policy, and Safe Motherhood in Peru

In 1997, the author noticed a gap between health personnel's birth care desires and indigenous women's. The 2005 Intercultural Birthing Policy aimed to address this by recognizing indigenous cultural values and improving biomedical care. However, challenges remain. Guerra-Reyes also provides ethnographic insight into health care workers, their backgrounds, and interactions with local families.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 30 July 2019
Publisher: Vanderbilt University Press

When the author embarked on their research in Peru in 1997, they were struck by a significant gap between the birth care desires of health personnel and those of indigenous women. Midwives and doctors persistently pleaded with the anthropologist to educate women about the dangerous inadequacy of their traditional practices. They failed to recognize how their overarching goal of achieving low rates of maternal mortality conflicted with the realities and experiences of local women, who often feared public health centers due to the potential for discrimination and verbal or physical abuse.

At the core of the women's and their families' aspirations was a desire for a positive birth experience, which typically involved a home birth aligned with Andean perceptions of health as a balance of bodily humors.

Recognizing the longstanding challenges, Peru implemented the Intercultural Birthing Policy of 2005 with the aim of addressing these issues. The policy sought to acknowledge and respect indigenous cultural values while also making biomedical care more accessible and desirable for indigenous women. However, despite these efforts, numerous difficulties persist.

Guerra-Reyes delves into the ethnographic aspects of health care by providing insights into the backgrounds of traditional birth attendants and midwives, including their class and educational qualifications. She conducts interviews with doctors and health care administrators to understand their perspectives and interactions with local families. Additionally, interviews with national policy makers provide valuable context to the program.

Through her research, Guerra-Reyes sheds light on the complex dynamics and challenges faced by both health personnel and indigenous women in the realm of childbirth in Peru. The book offers valuable insights into the historical, cultural, and social factors that shape birth practices and highlights the need for a more inclusive and culturally sensitive approach to healthcare.

Weight: 525g
Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780826522375