Intimate partner violence during pregnancy in Eastern Ethiopia: prevalence, attitudes, associated factors and adverse outcomes

Abstract

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) affects one in three women in the world. IPV that occurs during pregnancy poses a risk to the health of both the mother and child. Although previous studies have indicated that IPV contributes to maternal and child morbidities and mortalities by limiting women’s ability to receive maternal health care services, some studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding the effect of IPV on maternal health care services utilization. Ethiopia has high maternal and child mortality and morbidity and low utilization of maternal health care services. Understanding the link between IPV and maternal health care service utilization is important to design strategies that improve maternal health care services in a country like Ethiopia. Furthermore, in Ethiopia generally and in the Harari region specifically, evidence regarding IPV during pregnancy and its relationship with preterm and low birth weight is limited.