London, April 4, 2016 - Papers published in the latest issue of the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics (IJGO) identify factors associated with violence against women. The papers specifically focus on intimate partner violence (IPV) in regional, national, and international settings, and provide valuable information for the healthcare community and policymakers worldwide. The research contributes to efforts to establish ways in which individuals at risk of IPV can be identified and to the development of successful interventions.
Clinical articles within the issue establish that IPV is linked with unintended pregnancy and pregnancy loss in Pakistan, and the use of female-controlled methods of contraception (e.g. pills, implants, and intrauterine devices) in a rural area of India. Two other papers identify infertility/subfertility as a risk factor for IPV in low- and middle-income countries.
A special editorial by Prof. Rachel Jewkes highlights the role that health professionals - particularly obstetricians and gynecologists - can and should have in the response to violence against women. She calls for improved education on the issues surrounding violence against women during medical training, including discussion of how to respond to patients disclosing violence.
Prevention is crucial but challenging. Some interventions have been developed and have had some success in some settings, but there are still many barriers preventing real progress in the prevention of IPV. A brief report in the themed issue draws attention to the biggest challenges of addressing IPV in the Dominican Republic, most of which resulted from cultural viewpoints and poor awareness of the issue.
Prof Richard Adanu, Dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Ghana and IJGO Editor, states: "IJGO joins all women's health advocates in condemning all forms of violence against women. We hope that our Special Editorial and selected papers will increase the knowledge of our readers about this problem and serve as an encouragement to all those working to eliminate it."
Source: Elsevier