Background:

The puerperium is the period of time beginning at the end of labor until six postpartum weeks; during which it is necessary to provide attention in accordance with the bioethical principles included in the current health guidelines in Ecuador.

Objective:

To analyze the perceptions that postpartum women have about the 4 bioethical principles application during health care.

Methodology:

The study type is descriptive with a qualitative approach. The data correspond to 10 adult postpartum women assisted at the Nueva Aurora "Luz Elena Arizmendi" Pediatric Obstetric and Gynecological Pediatric Hospital in the Quito city, who responded to an interview about the bioethical principles applied in the received care. Content analysis was conducted through ATLAS TI version 23 software.

Results:

A positive perception was obtained from postpartum women concerning the application of the Justice principle. Furthermore, difficulties are evident in the Autonomy section, mainly in the comprehension of the information provided to the patient about the procedures during the labor and puerperium, as well as coercion by health personnel. Informed consent is perceived as a mere administrative formality. The Beneficence principle is assumed as part of the vocation of the personnel and Non-maleficence generates discomfort if it is not accompanied by clear and opportune information.

Conclusions:

Bioethical principles are transversal in current health guidelines, but that of Justice stands out in the care of postpartum women.

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