title: Intimate partner violence against women in the capital province of Sri Lanka: prevalence, risk factors, and help seeking.
abstract: This article presents findings from a cross-sectional community survey exploring intimate partner violence (IPV) against women in the Western province of Sri Lanka. Findings show that lifetime prevalence of physical violence (34%), controlling behavior (30%), and emotional abuse (19%) was high and the prevalence of sexual violence was low (5%). Young women and those with partners who abused alcohol/drugs and had extra-marital affairs are at increased risk of violence. Although living in a patriarchal society, low prevalence of child marriages and lack of dowry-related violence could be to Sri Lankan women's advantage relative to their Asian counterparts in preventing IPV.
authors: University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka. v.jayasuriya@londonmet.ac.uk
authors: Vathsala
authors: V
authors: Jayasuriya
authors: Kumudu
authors: K
authors: Wijewardena
authors: Pia
authors: P
authors: Axemo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism; D002648:Child; D003068:Coercion; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013188:Sri Lanka; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D055815:Young Adult