Maternity Needs during Delivery: Islamic Perspective

To date, research on the Islamic perspective of women's maternity needs and access to care has grossly been neglected. With one fifth's of the world's population being Muslims and scattered in countries around the globe, understanding the needs of Muslim women in order to fulfill the health care needs of this important community is crucial. The aim of this study is therefore to explore and showcase the Malaysian Muslim women's maternity needs with the hope that the findings and recommendations of the study will usefully be applicable to other Muslim communities worldwide. In-depth interview was conducted among 20 Muslim women aged between 25 and 40 years who delivered at least one of their children in a hospital and able to communicate in Malay language and are Malaysian citizens. The data obtained were categorized and analysed manually into various themes namely: Feeling of embarrassment, women's rights violation by doctors and nurse, medical students' involvement, feeling of guilty and regret due to the involvement of male healthcare workers in delivery, absence of government policy on maternity issues, the degree of risk taking in find female doctor, private hospitals and cost issues. Most of the women interviewed felt embarrassed when they are checked by male healthcare providers during vaginal delivery. Most of them also felt guilty when they recalled their experiences of not having the option to choose female healthcare providers to facilitate their delivery. The Women interviewed, emphasized the fact that they are Muslims and living in a largely Muslim country, and therefore feel obliged to follow and practice the Islamic values in all aspects of their lives. Most of the participants have reiterated that caring for them during delivery is a sensitive issue. The government should therefore look into ways of managing the affairs of Muslim women and their health care service needs during delivery and in a more ethical manner. Establishment of the pink wing model ( special wards for women) is highly recommended.