Intimate partner violence before and during pregnancy: experiences of postpartum women in Karachi, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE To assess the magnitude and determinants of intimate partner violence before and during pregnancy and attitude regarding domestic violence among a cohort of recently delivered women in Karachi, Pakistan. METHODS A total of 300 women occupying every alternate bed in the postnatal wards of a public tertiary hospital were administered a structured questionnaire. RESULTS Forty four percent (44%) of women reported lifetime marital physical abuse, 23% during the index pregnancy. Among the 132 women who were ever physically abused, all reported verbal abuse and 36% sexual coercion. The statistically significant risk factors, wife's education, consanguinity, and duration of marriage, were similar for lifetime marital abuse and during pregnancy. Over half (55%) of the women believed that antenatal care clinics were a good time to enquire about domestic violence. CONCLUSION Annually an estimated one million pregnant Pakistani women are physically abused at least once during pregnancy. Reproductive health stakeholders should be encouraged to advocate for domestic violence screening.