Intimate partner violence in obstetric/gynecology patients: A Chinese perspective

Intimate partner violence is a public health problem with human and economic costs. Although there is a substantial body, of literature regarding women's experiences in abusive intimate relationships, information about this kind of violence in the Chinese context is scarce. A review of the research on intimate partner violente in Chinese obstetric/gynecology patients has found 22 published papers representing 15 research studies conducted in Mainland China or Hong Kong. The majority of the studies focus on the prevalence of, and risk factors for, intimate partner violence in this group of women. Among the studies, variations in design, sample, definition of intimate partner violence and range of questions asked were noted. As no standardized instruments were used for the detection of intimate partner violence, a range of prevalence rates (e.g., 3.6-16.8% during pregnancy) and types of violence were reported, and it was difficult to draw meaningful comparisons across the studies. Despite the limitations, much can still be learned from the existing findings, especially in terms of the identification of risk factors in the Chinese context (e.g., in-law conflict and extramarital affairs). Such information could provide a useful basis for further investigation into the cultural context of violent experiences of Chinese women.