OBJECTIVE To determine the causes and type of domestic violence endured by pregnant women and their effect on pregnancy, in terms of maternal and neonatal outcome. STUDY DESIGN Cohort study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY The study was conducted in Sir Syed Trust Hospital, Karachi, from March 2007 to February 2008. METHODOLOGY All the antenatal patients were screened for domestic violence, u...

BACKGROUND Despite concern, few studies have been done about sexual violence against girls younger than 18 years of age in sub-Saharan Africa. We report the prevalence and circumstances of sexual violence in girls in Swaziland, and assess the negative health consequences. METHODS We obtained data from a nationally representative sample of girls and women aged 13-24 years from selected househo...

BACKGROUND Illegal migration is an increasing problem worldwide and the so-called undocumented migrants encounter major problems in access to prevention and health care. The objective of the study was to compare the use of preventive measures and pregnancy care of undocumented pregnant migrants with those of women from the general population of Geneva, Switzerland. METHODS Prospective cohort ...

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of intimate partner violence (IPV) against pregnant women on subsequent perpetration of child abuse and neglect (CAN) by parents; and to test the mediation effect of recent IPV on the link between IPV during pregnancy and subsequent CAN. METHODS This study was a longitudinal follow-up of a population-based study on pregnancy IPV conducted in antenatal clinics in...

AIMS Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy increases women's risk of pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes. The goal of this study was to examine the association between IPV and prenatal trauma and placental abruption during pregnancy. METHODS Prenatal and hospital obstetrical charts were reviewed for 2873 women who gave birth between January 2000 and March 2002 in a N...

Maternal health status before pregnancy is a decisive factor for pregnancy outcomes and for risk for maternal and infant complications. Still, maternity care does not start until the pregnancy is established and in most low-income settings not until more than half of the pregnancy has passed, which often is too late to impact outcomes. In Western societies preconception care (PCC) is widely rec...

CONTEXT Young women frequently cite concerns about the effects of unplanned pregnancies on future life course outcomes, including education, employment and relationships, as reasons for seeking abortion. There is relatively little evidence as to whether abortion leads to improved life course outcomes for young women who choose this option. METHODS Data from 492 women participating in a 25-yea...

OBJECTIVE To investigate behavioral risks and life circumstances of adolescent mothers with older (> or =5 years) adult (> or =20 years old) vs. similar-aged (+/-2 years) male partners at 12 months' postpartum. METHODS Nine hundred thirty-one adolescent females were interviewed after delivery and were mailed surveys to complete at 12 months' postpartum. Analysis by chi(2) and t test was used ...

Burmese women are forced to migrate to find work and security in Thailand due to the social, political, and economic disarray present in Burma. Unplanned pregnancies are common in this area, and one third of pregnancy loss is self-induced. Poverty, lack of employment rights, and domestic violence are important factors in deciding to terminate the pregnancy. Women face multiple barriers in manag...

This study asked two broad questions: (1) what is the prevalence of teen pregnancy in contemporary Vietnam; and (2) what selected social, family, and individual factors are associated with teen pregnancy in Vietnam? The study utilized Vietnam Survey Assessment of Vietnamese Youth surveys conducted in 2003 and 2008 to answer the two research questions within the context of fast political, econom...