Domestic Violence Against Infertile Women in a Turkish Setting

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of domestic violence against infertile women in a Turkish setting. Methods: A total of 122 women with primary infertility attending an obstetrics and gynecology outpatient clinic were interviewed using the Abuse Assessment Screen questionnaire to investigate their experiences of domestic violence. Results: In total, 41 (33.6%) women had experienced domestic violence because of their infertility. Of these women, 32 (78%) had experienced domestic violence for the first time in the relationship with the current partner following diagnosis of female factor infertility. The percentage of nonabused and abused infertile women who were mostly satisfied with their sexual lives was 56.87% and 29.2%, respectively (P<0.05). Conclusion: Routine screening for domestic violence in infertility clinics is necessary to give affected women an opportunity to access appropriate health care and support services. (C) 2008 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.