I had to tell to survive"- a cross-sectional study on exposure to intimate partner violence in pregnant women and the importance of screening

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of knowledge in Swedish healthcare regarding correlations of exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) from before to during pregnancy, and associated factors as well as pregnant women's perceptions related to screening for IPV in healthcare settings. The frequency of women exposed to IPV during pregnancy is difficult to establish as it is reported at different rates across different studies, depending on the definitions and screening strategies used. 

AIMS: 1. Describe prevalence of IPV experienced by pregnant women. 2. Investigate changes in IPV exposure before and during pregnancy. 3. Examine frequency of screening and women's opportunities and willingness to talk about IPV exposure. 

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey in Stockholm, Sweden. 

FINDINGS: 6.2 % of women (n = 202) reported exposure to IPV before pregnancy and 2.1 % (n = 72) reported exposure during pregnancy, of these, sixteen women reported exposure only during pregnancy. There were significant associations between exposure to IPV and symptoms of depression, age, living situations and employment status. Sixty-four percent of the exposed women were asked about violence in healthcare settings. 

DISCUSSION: An important finding was that the frequency of IPV decreased from before to during pregnancy. The reasons for this are unknown but may be multi-factorial. 

CONCLUSION: Our investigation provides crucial insights into IPV during pregnancy. Results highlight that relying solely on prevalence rates is inadequate to understand the complexity of IPV exposure related to pregnancy. Screening for IPV and understanding how women perceive and disclose their exposure is complex yet vital for midwives in antenatal care.