Articles in the Brazilian popular press typically portray women as actively choosing to deliver surgically. Doctors often affirm that women's demand for cesarean deliveries keeps rates high. While scholarly articles usually include the motives of both doctors and women, rarely does anyone discuss the power differences between the two.
Doctors clearly have more decisionmaking leverage in the delivery room.
Kristine Hopkins investigated the situation in Brazil. Inserting an IUD when a cervical infection is present can increase a woman's risk of developing pelvic inflammatory disease, a painful condition that can lead to infertility and sometimes death. Nurses informed women about various family planning methods and risk factors for and prevention of sexually transmitted infection. Physicians then asked the women their preferred contraceptive method. Informed women were better able to assess their risk for sexually transmitted infections and select a suitable family planning method than were doctors.