WOMEN'S AUTONOMY IN CHOOSING THE METHOD OF DELIVERY

Abstract

Introduction: Women's autonomy in choosing the mode of delivery is a fundamental issue for the promotion of reproductive rights and maternal health. The research theme is: women's autonomy in choosing the mode of delivery. In this perspective, the guiding question adopted was: do women really have autonomy in choosing the mode of delivery? And the methodology: this study is an integrative literature review, based on the guiding question mentioned above. Data collection took place between February and March of 2025 through the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and the Virtual Health Library (VHL) databases, using the Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS): two descriptors ('Labor' and 'childbirth'), and also the use of their synonyms ('freedom of childbirth', 'parturient', 'birth', 'parturition'). The following inclusion criteria were adopted: articles published between 2019 and 2024, articles available in Portuguese for free on the websites described above, which address the topic and are available in full. Thus, duplicate articles, monographs, incomplete articles, dissertations and those that deviate from the proposal of the aforementioned study were excluded. Results and discussions: It is necessary to understand that welcoming and access to information guarantee respect for the woman in her entirety during the choice of delivery route. In this sense, the nurse is responsible for improving care during labor and birth. Furthermore, it is essential to understand the characteristics of the quality of nursing care. Conclusion: Therefore, continuous care is essential due to respectful care practices and the reduction of unnecessary interventions.