Pregnant women are at increased risk of domestic violence in all cultural groups – SASHA: South Australian Sexual Health Awareness

The Conversation, April 26, 2018 6.00pm AEST

Domestic violence occurs across all age groups and life stages. Rather than reducing during pregnancy, expecting a child is a key risk factor for domestic violence beginning or escalating.

Our research, published today in the journal BMJ Open, found that 4.3% of pregnant women due to give birth in Western Sydney disclosed domestic violence when asked about it by a midwife at her first hospital visit. The study examined more than 33,000 ethnically diverse women who gave birth between 2006 and 2016, and found that these disclosures spanned all cultural groups.

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