Domestic Violence Before and during Pregnancy among Pregnant Women

Many women are abused by their intimate partners before and during pregnancy. Although, domestic violence during pregnancy has serious consequences for women’s health, little is known about how domestic violence may change throughout pregnancy transitions. Research shows that three types of partner violence can have different consequences for women’s health and well-being. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes of domestic violence before and during pregnancy among pregnant women referring to the health care centers in Marivan, Iran 2007. In this cross sectional study, 243 women receiving prenatal care at health care centers in Marivan were assessed for domestic violence before and during pregnancy using a violence screening questionnaire completed by them at the beginning and during the last month of pregnancy. The findings indicated that the prevalence of domestic violence during pregnancy was relatively low (%68.7), compared with the prevalence of domestic violence before pregnancy (%86.4) (P<0.001). Abuse before pregnancy was a strong indicator of abuse during pregnancy. These findings should alert health care providers that women who are abused before pregnancy often continue to experience it during pregnancy. Therefore, routine screening abuse in the maternity service setting is advocated so as to decrease the effect on women and the fetus.