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Background Domestic violence during pregnancy is a severe public health problem. Abused pregnant women are confronted with the threats posed by domestic violence. Pregnancy and protection of the unborn child could affect maternal strategies for managing violence. The purpose of this study was to explore Iranian women's strategies for managing domestic violence during pregnancy. Methods This qualitative study was conducted in October 2019 to June 2021 in Mashhad, Iran. Data were collected through individual semi structured interviews with 13 women who experienced perinatal domestic violence, two relatives and 24 related specialists as well as two focus group discussions with attendance of 20 abused mothers until the data saturation was achieved. Data were analyzed by the conventional content analysis approach of Graneheim and Lundman. Results The main themes "escape strategies" and "situation improvement strategies" were emerged as the result of data analysis. Escape strategies was comprised of three categories including concealment, passive dysfunctional behaviors and neutral behaviors to control maternal emotional distress. Situation improvement strategies was comprised of three categories including active self-regulation, protecting family privacy and help seeking to control violence. Conclusion Understanding the experience of managing domestic violence among pregnant women is essential to design evidence based violence prevention programs, which enable supportive healthcare and social systems to encourage abused mothers to use more effective strategies and seeking help to overcome domestic violence.

Background Perinatal intimate partner violence is a hidden under reported and difficult to identify problem which has negative effects on mother and child. The present study aimed to explore barriers and facilitators of perinatal intimate partner violence disclosure. Methods This qualitative study was carried out from October 2019 to January 2021 in Mashhad, Iran. Participants included 23 abused women (11 pregnant and 12 after birth) which were selected via purposive sampling. Semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussion were conducted until the data saturation was achieved. The data analysis was performed based on conventional content analysis adopted by Graneheim & Lundman. Results The main themes “barriers to disclosure” and “facilitators of disclosure” were emerged as the result of data analysis. Barriers to disclosure included negative disclosure consequences and protection of family privacy. Facilitators of disclosure included maternal self-efficacy, threats to security, and formal and informal supportive networks. Conclusions Most abused women did not disclose violence despite routine screening for perinatal intimate partner violence in antenatal care. Recognizing the barriers to and facilitators of violence disclosure play an important role in eliminating barriers, strengthening facilitators, providing effective supportive services for abused women, and reducing perinatal violence. Focus on the barriers to and the facilitators of disclosure will be useful to policymakers, health program planners, and health care providers to identify and manage intimate partner violence, appropriately.

Background Domestic violence in pregnancy is a severe public health problem. Victimized pregnant women are confronted with the threats posed by domestic violence. Pregnancy and protection of the unborn child could affect maternal strategies for managing violence. The purpose of this study was to explore Iranian women's strategies for managing domestic violence in pregnancy.Methods This was a qualitative descriptive study, which was conducted in October 2019 to June 2021 in Mashhad, Iran. Data were collected through Individual semi structured interviews with 13 women who experienced perinatal domestic violence, two relatives and 24 related specialists as well as two focus group discussion with attendance of 20 victimized mothers until the data saturation was achieved. Data were analyzed by the conventional content analysis approach of Graneheim & Lundman.Results The main themes "adopting escape strategies" and "applying situation improvement strategies" were emerged as the result of data analysis. Adopting escape strategies was comprised of three categories including concealment, passive dysfunctional behaviors and neutral behaviors to control maternal emotional distress. Applying situation improvement strategies was comprised of three categories including active self-regulation, protecting family privacy and help seeking to control violence.Conclusion Understanding the experience of managing domestic violence among pregnant women is essential to design evidence based violence prevention programs, which enable supportive healthcare and social systems to encourage victimized mothers to use more effective strategies and seeking help to overcome domestic violence.

Background Domestic violence threatens maternal physical, psychological and emotional safety. Victim/survivor pregnant women required interventions based on their actual needs with the purpose of reducing domestic violence and its negative consequences. The present study aimed to explore the experiences of victimized Iranian pregnant women and identify their neglected needs. Methods This qualitative descriptive study was performed from September 2019 to August 2021 in Mashhad, Iran. Semi-structured interviews with 14 women (8 pregnant and 6 after birth) who were the victims of domestic violence, and 11 key informants with various discipline specialties until the data saturation was achieved. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. Qualitative data were analyzed based on the conventional content analysis adopted by Graneheim & Lundman. Findings The main theme emerging from the data analysis was “family and society empowerment” that implied the necessity of family, health system, legal, social and inter sectoral empowerment to reduce domestic violence during pregnancy. “Family and society empowerment” was comprised of three categories such as “need to empower couples to reduce domestic violence during pregnancy”, “demand for improved health care services”, and “need to strengthen inter-sectoral, legal and social supports”. Conclusion Victim/survivor pregnant women experienced individual, interpersonal and inter sectoral needs. Family and society empowerment constituted the actual needs of victimized pregnant women. Awareness of policymakers and health system managers of these needs could be the basis for designing a supportive care program according to victim/survivor women’s actual needs. In addition to the educational and skill empowerment of couples, it is essential that supportive organizations cooperate with each other to provide integrated and coordinated services to victim/survivor pregnant women and strengthen and facilitate their access to supportive resources.

Background Domestic violence threatens maternal physical, psychological and emotional safety. Abused pregnant women required several interventions based on their actual needs with the purpose of reducing domestic violence and its negative consequences. The present study aimed to explore the exclusive needs of abused pregnant women in Iran. Methods This qualitative study was performed from September 2019 to August 2021 in Mashhad, Iran. Semi-structured interviews with 14 abused women (8 pregnant and 6 after birth) who were the victims of domestic violence, and 11 key informants with various discipline specialties until the data saturation was achieved. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. Qualitative data were analyzed based on the conventional content analysis adopted by Graneheim & Lundman. Findings: "Family and society empowerment" was the main concept emerged from the data analysis comprising of three categories such as "need to empower couples to reduce domestic violence during pregnancy", "demand for improved health care services", and "need to strengthen inter-sectoral, legal and social supports". Conclusion Abused pregnant women experienced several individual, interpersonal and inter sectoral needs. Family and society empowerment constituted the actual needs of abused pregnant women. Awareness of policymakers and health system managers of these needs could be the basis for designing a supportive care program according to abused women’s actual needs. In addition to the educational and skill empowerment of couples, it is essential that supportive organizations cooperate with each other to provide integrated and coordinated services to abused pregnant women and strengthen and facilitate maternal access to supportive resources.

Background Perinatal intimate partner violence is a hidden under reported and difficult to identify problem which has negative effects on mother and child. The present study aimed to explore women's experiences with perinatal intimate partner violence disclosure. Methods This qualitative study was carried out from October 2019 to January 2021 in Mashhad, Iran. Participants included 23 abused women (11 pregnant and 12 postpartum) which were selected via purposive sampling. Semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussion were conducted until the data saturation was achieved. The data analysis was performed based on conventional content analysis adopted by Graneheim & Lundman. Results The main themes "barriers to disclosure" and "facilitators of disclosure" were emerged as the result of data analysis. Barriers to disclosure included negative disclosure consequences. Facilitators of disclosure included maternal self-efficacy, intensity of violence, and formal and informal supportive networks. Conclusions Most abused women did not disclose violence despite routine screening for perinatal intimate partner violence in antenatal care. Recognizing the barriers to and facilitators of violence disclosure play an important role in eliminating barriers, strengthen facilitators, providing effective supportive services for abused women, and reducing perinatal violence. Focus on the barriers to and facilitators of disclosure will be useful to policymakers, health program planners, and health care providers to identify and manage intimate partner violence, appropriately.