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Opportunities and obstacles to screening pregnant women for intimate partner violence during antenatal care in Zimbabwe

Bibliographic Data

ID15098017
AuthorsSimukai Shamu (0000-0002-2290-0515, South African Medical Research Council, corresponding author), Naeema Abrahams (0000-0002-6138-6256, University of the Western Cape), Naeemah Abrahams, Marleen Temmerman (0000-0003-2069-8752, Ghent University Hospital), Christina Zarowsky (0000-0002-0850-6212, University of the Western Cape)
Year2013
Volume15
Issue5
Pages511-524
Publication date2013-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueCulture Health & Sexuality (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1369-1058 • E-ISSN: 1464-5351
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13691058.2012.759393
PMID23343085
OpenAlexW2142755096
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited22

Pregnancy offers an opportunity for midwives to recognise and respond to women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). However, most antenatal care interventions have been conducted in private specialist services in high-income countries and do not address the structural and cultural realities of developing country settings. We report on an exploratory qualitative study conducted in antenatal public health facilities in Harare, Zimbabwe, involving six in-depth interviews with midwives and seven FGDs with 64 pregnant and postpartum women. Recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic content analysis. We found that identifying and responding to IPV in antenatal care is hampered by inadequate human, financial and infrastructural resources as well as poor support of gender-based violence training for midwives. Midwives had divergent views of their role, with some perceiving IPV as a non-clinical, social and domestic problem that does not require their attention, while others who had been sensitised to the problem felt that it could easily overwhelm them. A comprehensive response to IPV by midwives would be difficult to achieve in this setting but sensitised midwives could respond to cues to violence and ultimately assist abused women in culturally sensitive and appropriate ways

Domestic violence · Environmental health · Exploratory research · Focus group · Poison control · Psychological intervention · Public health · Qualitative research · Sociology · Suicide prevention · Thematic analysis · Child Abuse and Trauma · Global Maternal and Child Health · Intimate Partner and Family Violence · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology

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  • Ethiopian Health Care Workers’ Insights into and Responses to Intimate Partner Violence in Pregnancy—A Qualitative Study

    Open Access•Bosena Tebeje Gashaw, Berit Schei et al.•International Journal of…•2020

  • Do We Care? Portuguese Healthcare Professionals’ Practices and Related Barriers to Addressing Intimate Partner Violence During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period

    Open Access•Ana Rita Martins, Cláudia Melo et al.•Sexuality Research and Social…•2022

  • Intimate partner violence, forced first sex and adverse pregnancy outcomes in a sample of Zimbabwean women accessing maternal and child health care

    Open Access•Simukai Shamu, Stephen Munjanja et al.•BMC Public Health•2018

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    Open Access•Teurai Rwafa-Ponela, Simukai Shamu et al.•BMC Public Health•2019

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    Open Access•Jane Anyango, Jennifer Yost et al.•Journal of Family Violence•2025

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    Savannah Gray, Jennifer Foster et al.•Health Care For Women International•2020

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    Heidi Stöckl, Frances Gardner•Culture Health & Sexuality•2013

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    Open Access•Jay G Silverman, Michele R Decker et al.•American Journal of Obstetrics…•2006

  • A Systematic Review of African Studies on Intimate Partner Violence against Pregnant Women

    Open Access•Simukai Shamu, Naeemah Abrahams et al.•PLoS ONE•2011

  • Should health professionals screen women for domestic violence? Systematic review

    Open Access•Jean Ramsay, Jo Richardson et al.•BMJ•2002

  • A global overview of gender‐based violence

    Open Access•Lori Heise, Mary Ellsberg et al.•International Journal of…•2002

  • Violence against pregnant women

    Open Access•Tamara Taillieu, Tamara L Taillieu et al.•Aggression and Violent Behavior•2010

  • Screening for intimate partner violence by health care providersBarriers and interventions

    Open Access•Jill Waalen, Mary M Goodwin et al.•American Journal of Preventive…•2000

  • A knowledge, attitudes, and practice survey among obstetrician-gynaecologists on intimate partner violence in Flanders, Belgium

    Open Access•Kristien Roelens, Hans Verstraelen et al.•BMC Public Health•2006

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    Open Access•Patricia O’campo, Michael Kirst et al.•Social Science & Medicine•2011

  • Evaluation of a domestic violence intervention in the maternity and sexual health services of a UK hospital

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Unique citing works9
Citations per year0,69
Citation span2013 - 2025 (13)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 9
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