Way over the 10 to 15 percent cesarean section figure recommended by the World Health Organisation, the number of Brazilian women undergoing elective cesarean sections as a birthing method is now reportedly up to 52 percent. These figures have been statistically confirmed due to the fact that an increasing number of Brazilian women choose the said procedure to preserve their sex lives after giving birth.

The Ministry of health in this South American country has now announced that is organizing a nationwide crackdown on what is now being called the C-section epidemic that seems to be sweeping the country at an alarmingly accelerated rate. Statistics are also showing that nearly 85 percent of cesarean deliveries are taking place within private hospitals with the procedure being covered in women's insurance policies. In fact, nearly 50 percent of all deliveries in state hospitals have been carried out through C-sections. This figure, according to the ministry, is more than anywhere else in the world. According to Health Minister Arthur Chioro, "the epidemic of cesarean births in the country is unacceptable and must be treated as a public health problem."

Starting in July, the government will begin to mandate that healthcare providers and private insurance companies provide information about C-section statistics within their respective areas. Doctors will also be legally required to give mothers all the necessary information about undergoing a cesarean delivery as well as the risks that come with that procedure. The chairman for Brazil's National Complementary Health Agency, Andre Longo, added that, "To receive his fees, a doctor will have to fill in a form with all the data on the woman from the time she starts having contractions." The agency says that this step will help ensure that doctors only carry out a cesarean delivery after labor contractions begin.

According to the World Health Organisation, C-section delivery must not exceed 15 percent of all recorded deliveries. This type of birthing method has been associated to a number of health and physical risks in the past due to its surgical nature. Babies born from this procedure often experience respiratory difficulties, mothers suffer from infected wounds, and there is a definite increase the risk of untimely death due to the procedure.