Childbirth after Gender-Based Violence: A Scoping Review

Gender-based violence (GBV) encompasses physical, emotional, verbal, coercive, and discriminatory forms of violence. Previous experiences of GBV have been shown to influence the childbirth experience negatively.

Examine subjective childbirth experiences of women with a history of GBV.

(1) Studies including qualitative content that discusses GBV; (2) participants identified as women; (3) aged 18 years or older; (4) focused on women's subjective childbirth experiences; (5) written in English; and (6) available as full-text sources.

The qualitative scoping review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. Databases searched included CINAHL (EBSCO), MEDLINE (Ovid), ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health, Scopus, OVID Emcare, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, PsycINFO, and grey literature. No publication date restrictions were applied. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, with full texts retrieved for eligible sources. Discrepancies were resolved through consensus discussion or adjudicated by a third reviewer. Data were extracted using a standardized data extraction tool.

Thirty-one articles were extracted. Six major themes were identified: (1) maintaining control; (2) triggers, flashbacks, and dissociations; (3) impact of support; (4) physical vulnerability; (5) desire to disclose; and (6) childbirth as healing.

This review revealed novel findings regarding childbirth as a healing experience after GBV and emphasized women's desire to disclose GBV histories during the birthing process. Further research is needed to explore the childbirth experiences of individuals with diverse forms of GBV.