Prevalence and severity of intimate partner violence prior to pregnancy, during pregnancy and in the first nine months postpartum among women residing in an urban township in Durban, South Africa

Introduction:South Africa has high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) directed against women. However, we know little about the scope of IPV during pregnancy and the postpartum period despite significant negative consequences. The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence and severity of IPV that South African women experience before pregnancy, during pregnancy, three and nine months postpartum. Methods:Data come from a longitudinal study with 745 women recruited between May 2008 and June 2010 at a public clinic in Durban. We used a modified version of the World Health Organization's intimate partner violence scale to estimate prevalence and the proportion of women who experienced severe violence. Results:The prevalence of IPV decreased from 39% before pregnancy to 23% during pregnancy. Approximately 25% of women experienced IPV postpartum. The proportion of women who experienced severe violence also dropped from 13% to 3% during pregnancy; however, nearly 10% of women experienced severe violence postpartum. Conclusion:While the proportion of women who experienced IPV decreased during pregnancy, a quarter of all women still experienced some type of IPV during pregnancy, which is higher than most pregnancy-specific prevalence estimates in sub-Saharan Africa. Further, the high proportion of women who experience severe violence postpartum suggests that some women who experience severe IPV may only find a short period of respite from violence. Therefore, IPV prevention interventions are needed in both the prenatal and postnatal period to reduce the public health burden of IPV – and particularly severe IPV – during this time.