Practice of nurses in fertility regulation in a public health care institution

Abstract

This article is based on a doctoral dissertation that investigated the behavior of nurses concerning women's health in a public health care institution. It presents an experience in this practice regarding the actions of fertility regulation. The empirical data were obtained through reflection workshops and they were analyzed according to the discourse analysis technique and the gender theoretical approach. The analysis showed that in their practice, nurses value women's sexual and reproductive experiences, however, the institutional power, including here medical power, restrain their participation in the development of the autonomy and reproductive freedom of women.