Health regulations and social experiences of ‘high-risk’ pregnancies among young working-class women in Brazil

In conjunction with aims to reduce infant and maternal mortality, antenatal care in Brazil is based on risk assessment and monitoring. Exploring the reliance of pregnancy management policies on a distinction between ‘low’ and ‘high-risk’ pregnancies, I conducted two ethnographic studies of pregnant women from a working-class background in Recife and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In addition to in-depth interviews with women and professionals,...