Exploring Intimate Partner Violence Before, During, and After Pregnancy in Bangladesh

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against pregnant or postpartum women is known to have multiple detrimental effects on women and their children. Although results from past research suggest much continuity in trajectories of IPV, it is unclear whether pregnancy interrupts or augments these patterns. Little is known about how physical, sexual, and psychological IPV change and overlap throughout a woman's transition to parenthood. Relying on population-based data, this study examines the prevalence, co-occurring nature, and the changing patterns of physical, sexual, and psychological IPV before, during, and after pregnancy in Bangladesh. Cross-sectional survey data were collected between October 2015 and January 2016 in the Chandpur District of Bangladesh from 426 new mothers, aged 15 to 49 years, who were in the first 6 months postpartum. IPV was assessed with a validated set of survey items. The frequencies of different types of IPV victimization according to the period of occurrence were calculated separately and in a cumulative, co-occurring manner. The prevalence of physical IPV before, during, and after pregnancy was 52.8%, 35.2%, and 32.2%, respectively. The comparative figures for psychological IPV were 67.4%, 65%, and 60.8%, and for sexual IPV were 21.1%, 18.5%, and 15.5%, respectively. The results demonstrate a notable continuity in IPV victimization before, during, and after pregnancy. Psychological IPV is the only type to exhibit a significant reduction during and after pregnancy, compared with before pregnancy, but it commonly overlaps with physical IPV, which shows a significant change during pregnancy and little change in the postpartum period. At the same time, pregnancy and childbirth offer little protection against IPV for women in relationships characterized by psychological or sexual victimization, both of which commonly overlap with physical IPV. Results reinforce the need to conduct routine screening during pregnancy to identify women with a history of IPV and to offer necessary help and support.

Early exclusive breastfeeding cessation and postpartum depression: Assessing the mediating and moderating role of maternal stress and social support

“…The current study is drawn from a much larger project, which mainly investigates maternal and child health before, during and after pregnancy in Bangladesh. This extensive dataset was used to produce several research outcomes exploring the correlates and changing pattern of intimate partner violence (IPV) before, during, and after pregnancy [ 39 , 40 ], the influence of IPV on experiencing PPD [ 41 ], maternal healthcare services [ 42 ] and suicidal ideation [ 8 ], psychosocial factors of EBF [ 11 ], and the influence of childhood maltreatment on EBF behaviours [ 43 ]. As described previously [ 11 , 41 ], a population-based cross-sectional survey of new mothers was carried out between October 2015 and January 2016 in two Upazilas (sub-districts) of the Chandpur district of Bangladesh.…”

Sexual and Reproductive Health Outcomes of Violence Against Women and Girls in Lower-Income Countries: A Review of Reviews

“…The impact of sequential and/or concurrent GBV may differ than that of single GBV exposures (Alexander, Amerigo, & Harrelson, 2018). The timing of exposure also may matter; for instance, the SRH effects of IPV before versus during pregnancy may differ (Islam, Broidy, Mazerolle, Baird, & Mazumder, 2018). To create interventions, a better understanding of polyvictimization against girls and women in LMICs will be essential (Grose et al, 2019;Le, Holton, Romero, & Fisher, 2018;Yount et al, 2017).…”

Does gender inequality matter for access to and utilization of maternal healthcare services in Bangladesh?

“…Though the government in Bangladesh has enacted the Domestic Violence Act 2010 to control violence against women, the rates of IPV are still high in the country [ 39 ]. It is reported that around two-thirds of ever-married women experienced IPV at least once during their lives [ 40 ], which is a serious public health concern for women, especially during their pregnancy [ 41 ]. A higher prevalence of IPV in Bangladesh might be the reason for the underutilization of maternal healthcare services.…”