Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) among Women Suffering from Infertility

Background: Domestic violence against women is a pervasive, insidious, and often hidden crime thattranscends geographical, cultural, and socioeconomic boundaries. Aim: to measure the prevalence ofIntimate Partner Violence (IPV) among women suffering from infertility. Subjects: 191 married womendiagnosed with primary or secondary infertility. Method: A cross-sectional study design was used toaccomplish this study. Settings: The study was carried out at the Obstetrics and Gynecology outpatientclinics at Beni-Suef University Hospital. Data Collection: using a self-administered interview form, theNorVold Domestic Abuse Questionnaire (NorAQ) measures lifetime and current experiences of emotional,physical, and sexual abuse. It consists of items requiring yes/no responses, with scores indicating thepresence and severity of each abuse type. Results: The results showed that previous divorce, longer years ofinfertility, and previous surgery were statistically significant independent risk factors for women's exposureto violence as measured by NorAQ. Conversely, their working status was a protective factor. Conclusion: asubstantial proportion of infertile women suffer from intimate partner violence. Their exposure to violence isaffected by couples’ demographics, as well as marriage and infertility characteristics. Recommendations:Activation of community health nurses’ roles involving screening and early intervention, education andtraining, advocacy and support, community outreach, and provision of resources.