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Perinatal status and help-seeking for intimate partner violence
Catherine L Kothari1, Catherine Cerulli, Steven Marcus
1Michigan State University/Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008, USA. kothari@kcms.msu.edu
Journal of Women'S Health (2002)
|October 1, 2009
Summary
Abused women are more likely to become pregnant. Perinatal status influences how victims seek help from police and emergency departments, affecting patterns of care.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Women's Health
Background:
- Intimate partner violence (IPV) and pregnancy are frequently studied together.
- Few studies examine how perinatal status (pregnancy or postpartum) affects help-seeking behaviors of abused women.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of perinatal status on help-seeking behaviors among women experiencing intimate partner violence.
- To compare help-seeking patterns between perinatal and non-perinatal victims of intimate partner violence.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of prosecutor, police, and hospital records for 964 adult females assaulted by an intimate partner.
- Comparison of perinatal and non-perinatal victims using chi-square and logistic regression, controlling for demographic and incident factors.
Main Results:
- Abused women were twice as likely to be pregnant compared to the general county population.
- Perinatal status did not alter the likelihood of seeking help from police or emergency departments (EDs).
- Perinatal status was associated with increased ED utilization in the 6 months preceding the assault and a trend towards seeking help with fewer injuries.
Conclusions:
- Pregnancy is more common among women experiencing intimate partner violence.
- Perinatal status significantly influences the patterns of help-seeking from criminal justice and emergency departments by victims of intimate partner violence.
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