Intimate partner and nonpartner violence against pregnant women in rural Haiti

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between violence experienced by pregnant Haitian women in the previous 6 months and pregnancy-related symptom distress. METHODS: A total of 200 women seeking prenatal care at community health dispensaries in the Artibonite Valley were interviewed. RESULTS: Over 4 in 10 women (44.0%) reported that they had experienced violence in the 6 months prior to interview; 77.8% of these women reported that the violence was perpetrated by an intimate partner. Those who experienced intimate partner violence reported significantly greater pregnancy-related symptom distress (beta=0.23, P=0.001). No significant differences between violence perpetrated by family members or others and reporting of symptoms were observed (beta=0.06, P=0.38). CONCLUSION: The findings indicate the need to integrate violence screening, resources, and primary prevention into prenatal care in rural Haiti.