Incidence and risk factors of intimate partner violence among patients with gynaecological cancer in China

Abstract

The population of survivors with gynaecological cancer has dramatically increased due to improvements in screening and treatment (Abrahams et al., 2014;Holman, 2019). Gynaecological cancers, including cervical, uterine and ovarian cancers, account for 5% of all new cancers in China (Feng et al., 2021). Patients tend to report a negative body image, sexual function problems and menopausal symptoms caused by gynaecological cancer, which may affect their intimate relationships with their partners and result in intimate partner violence (IPV) (Brennan et al., 2021). IPV can be defined as physical violence, sexual violence and/or psychological aggression perpetrated by a current or former intimate partner, and it is associated with multiple health problems, including chronic genitourinary disorders, sleep disturbances, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and even suicide attempts (Messing et al., 2017). IPV can cause superimposed negative impacts for women with cancer, which affect their health outcomes. Evidence shows that patients with gynaecological cancer who have undergone IPV are more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviours such as risky sexual behaviour, drinking