Oral

Despite an increase in the status of women in developing countries, intimate partner violence remains a problem. This panel reviews the causes and consequences of violence and how it transcends class, ethnic and racial barriers. The literature documents a strong link between childhood abuse and adult intimate partner violence. This correlation is examined amongst Ecuadorian women of reproductive age. Intimate partner violence is also positively associated with a number of reproductive health problems. A study was conducted to explore the association between unintended pregnancies and the level of intimate partner violence. A program funded through the CDC called, “Men United against Family Violence” aimed at the primary prevention of both sexual and intimate partner violence in the Latino migrant community in the United States. The program and the results of this project will be addressed in this presentation. The last panelist discusses domestic violence in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Both individual and community level variables associated with intimate partner violence will be examined.

Session Objectives: 1) Understand the rationale for studying linkages between childhood abuse and adult intimate partner violence 2) Explain factors associated with unintended pregnancies 3) Recognize the barriers faced by Latino migrant victims of sexual and intimate partner violence and the scope of the problem within the community 4) Articulate the prevalence of physical, sexual and emotional domestic violence among women in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing