Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. To determine prevalence and factors associated with intimate partner violence IPV among pregnant women seeking antenatal care. This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Kisumu District Hospital, Kenya amongst randomly selected pregnant women. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data.
Participants self-reported about their own IPV experience lifetime, 12 months prior to and during index pregnancy and associated risk factors. Data were analyzed using Epi-info. The mean age of the participants was Women who experienced IPV during pregnancy were more likely to have witnessed maternal abuse in childhood aOR 2. Health care providers should be alerted to the possibility of IPV during pregnancy in women who witnessed maternal abuse in childhood, are multiparous, polygamous, have a partner who drinks alcohol or has low level education.
Screening for IPV, support and referral is urgently needed to help reduce the burden experienced by pregnant women and their unborn babies. IPV can lead directly to serious injury, disability or death. It can also lead indirectly to mental disorders, substance use, lack of fertility control and personal autonomy. IPV during pregnancy is particularly harmful as it is associated with detrimental outcomes to both the mother and her unborn baby.
Women experiencing IPV during pregnancy have higher rates of miscarriage, more complications during pregnancy more sexually transmitted infections including HIV , and higher prevalence of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and eating disorders compared to their non-abused peers [ 3 β 7 ].
However; the prevalence of IPV during pregnancy in Kenya is unknown. Therefore, the following study was conducted to determine the prevalence of IPV among pregnant women seeking antenatal care at a district hospital in Kenya and to learn more about factors associated with IPV among these women.
