title: Prevalence, pattern and consequences of intimate partner violence during pregnancy at abakaliki southeast Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common type of violence against women. It is a major public health problem and violates the fundamental human rights of women.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence, pattern and consequences of IPV during pregnancy in Abakaliki, Southeast Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  A semi-structured questionnaire was designed for cross-sectional survey of pregnant women attending antenatal clinic between April and June 2011 at the Federal Medical Centre Abakaliki. A total of 321 questionnaires were correctly filled and then analyzed using Epi info software 2008 (Atlanta Georgia, USA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of the 321 booked pregnant women, 44.6% (143/321) reported having been abused in the index pregnancy. Age of woman, family setting, religion, educational level of couples, parity and social habits of their husbands significantly influenced IPV (P < 0.05). The common causes of IPV were no identifiable cause (20.1%) 29/144, domestic issues (19.4%) 28/144, keeping late nights (12.5%) 18/144 and financial problem (11.8%) 17/144. Verbal abuse (60.1%) 86/143 was the most common type of abuse and most pregnant women resorted to praying (31.5%) 46/146, crying (24.7%) 36/146, and begging (22.6%) 33/146 as their major reactions to IPV. Eleven (7.7%) 11/143 pregnant women were hospitalized while (21%) 30/143 sustained emotional and physical injury. Apologies were tendered after IPV by 84.6% (121/143) of husband. Majority (83.9%) 120/143 of the abused did not support reporting IPV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Various types of IPV are still practiced commonly in our environment. IPV poses great threat to the reproductive health of all women especially during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Rc
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Onoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ouj
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Umeora
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Po
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ezeonu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ak
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Onyebuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ol
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lawani
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Um
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Agwu
keywords: Abakaliki; Intimate partner violence; Nigeria; Pregnancy