‘They just walk away’ – women’s perception of being silenced by antenatal health workers: a qualitative study on women survivors of domestic violence in Nepal

Background: Domestic violence during pregnancy has detrimental effects on the health of the mother and the newborn. Antenatal care provides a ‘window of opportunity’ to identify and assist victims of domestic violence during pregnancy. Little is known about the experience, needs, and expectations fr...

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Main Authors: Poonam Rishal, Sunil Kumar Joshi, Mirjam Lukasse, Berit Schei, Katarina Swahnberg
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2016-12-01
Series:Global Health Action
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/31838/pdf_307
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author Poonam Rishal
Sunil Kumar Joshi
Mirjam Lukasse
Berit Schei
Katarina Swahnberg
author_facet Poonam Rishal
Sunil Kumar Joshi
Mirjam Lukasse
Berit Schei
Katarina Swahnberg
author_sort Poonam Rishal
collection DOAJ
description Background: Domestic violence during pregnancy has detrimental effects on the health of the mother and the newborn. Antenatal care provides a ‘window of opportunity’ to identify and assist victims of domestic violence during pregnancy. Little is known about the experience, needs, and expectations from the women's perspective in relation to domestic violence in Nepal. Objective: Our study aims to explore how women who have experienced domestic violence evaluate their antenatal care and their expectations and needs from health centers. Design: Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted among women who had experienced domestic violence during pregnancy and utilized antenatal care. The women were recruited from two different organizations in Nepal. Results: Women in our study concealed their experience of domestic violence due to fear of being insulted, discriminated, and negative attitudes of the health care providers. The women wished that the health care providers were compassionate and asked them about their experience, ensured confidentiality and privacy, and referred them to services that is free of cost. Conclusions: Findings from our study may help the health care providers to change their attitudes toward women survivors of domestic violence. Identifying and assisting these women through antenatal care could result in improved services for them and their newborns.
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spelling doaj.art-b191582e496841cfa572fd9714c9be582022-12-22T01:49:24ZengTaylor & Francis GroupGlobal Health Action1654-98802016-12-019011010.3402/gha.v9.3183831838‘They just walk away’ – women’s perception of being silenced by antenatal health workers: a qualitative study on women survivors of domestic violence in NepalPoonam Rishal0Sunil Kumar Joshi1Mirjam Lukasse2Berit Schei3Katarina Swahnberg4 Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway Department of Community Medicine, Kathmandu Medical College, Kathmandu, Nepal Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Oslo, Norway Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway Department of Health and Caring Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, SwedenBackground: Domestic violence during pregnancy has detrimental effects on the health of the mother and the newborn. Antenatal care provides a ‘window of opportunity’ to identify and assist victims of domestic violence during pregnancy. Little is known about the experience, needs, and expectations from the women's perspective in relation to domestic violence in Nepal. Objective: Our study aims to explore how women who have experienced domestic violence evaluate their antenatal care and their expectations and needs from health centers. Design: Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted among women who had experienced domestic violence during pregnancy and utilized antenatal care. The women were recruited from two different organizations in Nepal. Results: Women in our study concealed their experience of domestic violence due to fear of being insulted, discriminated, and negative attitudes of the health care providers. The women wished that the health care providers were compassionate and asked them about their experience, ensured confidentiality and privacy, and referred them to services that is free of cost. Conclusions: Findings from our study may help the health care providers to change their attitudes toward women survivors of domestic violence. Identifying and assisting these women through antenatal care could result in improved services for them and their newborns.http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/31838/pdf_307domestic violencequalitative researchquality of carehelp seekingabuse in health care
spellingShingle Poonam Rishal
Sunil Kumar Joshi
Mirjam Lukasse
Berit Schei
Katarina Swahnberg
‘They just walk away’ – women’s perception of being silenced by antenatal health workers: a qualitative study on women survivors of domestic violence in Nepal
Global Health Action
domestic violence
qualitative research
quality of care
help seeking
abuse in health care
title ‘They just walk away’ – women’s perception of being silenced by antenatal health workers: a qualitative study on women survivors of domestic violence in Nepal
title_full ‘They just walk away’ – women’s perception of being silenced by antenatal health workers: a qualitative study on women survivors of domestic violence in Nepal
title_fullStr ‘They just walk away’ – women’s perception of being silenced by antenatal health workers: a qualitative study on women survivors of domestic violence in Nepal
title_full_unstemmed ‘They just walk away’ – women’s perception of being silenced by antenatal health workers: a qualitative study on women survivors of domestic violence in Nepal
title_short ‘They just walk away’ – women’s perception of being silenced by antenatal health workers: a qualitative study on women survivors of domestic violence in Nepal
title_sort they just walk away women s perception of being silenced by antenatal health workers a qualitative study on women survivors of domestic violence in nepal
topic domestic violence
qualitative research
quality of care
help seeking
abuse in health care
url http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/31838/pdf_307
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