Maternal outcomes of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) during pregnancy in India

Background: Pregnancy is a very challenging period, especially so if the pregnant woman is exposed to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) during her pregnancy. The health of the mother during pregnancy is very important because the health of the fetus depends largely on that. IPV during pregnancy can cause several maternal health problems and issues that could be deleterious to health of the fetus. IPV during pregnancy is present but not reported as frequently and seems to receive less attention in the perinatal care when compared to other health conditions that occur during pregnancy. Objective: To analyze objectively the maternal outcomes of pregnant women who had experienced Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) during their pregnancy. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was made in the following databases like PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Proquest and Science Direct for retrieving the related studies. Data were analyzed according to the objective. Narrative analysis was adopted to write this review. Results: The study found that IPV experienced during pregnancy affects the physical, reproductive health, mental health as well the health seeking behavior of the pregnant woman. Conclusion: It is pertinent to have proper screening mechanisms for IPV, which are functioning in the antenatal clinics. Availability of health care providers who are sensitive to the issues these women face and are able to screen IPV effectively is the need of the hour.