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Abstract OBJECTIVE: Determine the prevalence of domestic violence (DV) among pregnant syphilis-positive Bolivian women. METHODS: We administered an anonymous questionnaire to 4,854 women measuring physical and/or sexual violence. We calculated prevalence of DV and possible associations between DV and syphilis. Women suffering current abuse were compared with non-victims using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Physical and/or sexual abuse in the previous year was reported by 1,029 (21 percent, 95% CI 20–22) women. Abuse was rated as severe by 72 percent of victims. Prevalence of abuse during childhood was reported by 1,038 women (21 percent, 95% CI 20–23). The prevalence of physical abuse during the current pregnancy was 5.4 percent (95% CI 4.8–6.0). The following risk factors were associated with physical and/or sexual abuse (p< 0.5): positive diagnosis for syphilis (OR=1.91, 95% CI 1.44–2.53), grade school education only (OR=1.78, 95% CI 1.30–2.44), having three or more pregnancies (OR=1.34, 95% CI 1.12–1.61), and age between 12 and 16 (OR=1.57, 95% CI 1.12–2.02). Of the women suffering current abuse, 8.2 percent had syphilis compared to 4 percent of women not currently experiencing abuse (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: DV is a significant problem among pregnant women in Bolivia. A positive diagnosis for syphilis may put them at greater risk for abuse during pregnancy. Universal screening for STIs and DV among women attending prenatal care should be implemented in low-resource settings. LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Poster Session 3275.0: Reproductive Health Programs This page updated |
