Exploring the Prevalence of Disrespect and Abuse during Childbirth in Kenya

BACKGROUND: Poor quality of care including fear of disrespect and abuse (D OR: 0.6 95% CI (0.36, 0.90); p=0.017. Clients with no companion during delivery were less likely to experience inappropriate demands for payment; OR: 0.49 (0.26, 0.95); p=0.037; while women with higher parities were three times more likely to be detained for lack of payment and five times more likely to be bribed compared to those experiencing there first birth. CONCLUSION: One out of five women experienced feeling humiliated during labor and delivery. Six categories of D&A during childbirth in Kenya were reported. Understanding the prevalence of D&A is critical in developing interventions at national, health facility and community levels to address the factors and drivers that influence D&A in facilities and to encourage clients' future facility utilization.