Citation

Oberg M, Stenson K, Skalkidou A, Heimer GM. Acta Obstet. Gynecol. Scand. 2014; 93(1): 45-51.

Affiliation

Department for Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/aogs.12279

PMID

24117134

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of intimate partner violence among women seeking termination of pregnancy (TOP) in comparison to women seeking contraceptive counseling. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Family planning unit, Uppsala University Hospital. POPULATION: Women seeking TOP (n=635) and women seeking contraceptive counseling (n=591) answered a self-administered questionnaire regarding experience of intimate partner violence. In addition, the women were interviewed by specially trained staff. METHOD: Comparisons were made between the two groups and between those who had previously undergone TOP and those who had never done so with experience of intimate partner violence as the main outcome measure. Multivariate logistic regression was used to adjust for age, education, and occupation. RESULTS: In total 29% of women seeking TOP and 22% of women seeking contraceptive counseling reported experience of violence. Women seeking TOP were more likely to report physical violence (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=1.6, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 1.2-2.1) and experience of violence during the past year (aOR=2.3, 95%Cl 1.1-4.8). Women who had ever undergone TOP were also more likely to report intimate partner violence compared to women with no history of TOP (aOR=1.7, 95%CI 1.3-2.3). Among women with repeated TOP, 51% reported experience of intimate partner violence. CONCLUSION: Women seeking TOP reported to a greater extent experience of intimate partner violence. However, women seeking contraceptive counseling had also a high prevalence of violence experiences. These results stress the importance of caregivers approaching both groups of women with questions about intimate partner violence in order to identify exposed women and offer them help. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Language: en