Review article
VIOLENCE AGAINST PREGNANT WOMEN
Sanja Katalinić
Aleksandra Frković
Renata Dobi-Babić
Abstract
According to Croatian Constitution no one can be subjected to abuse, particularly women, and especially pregnant women. Pregnancy is period of high risk for woman to be subjected to physical, psychological or sexual violence from the part of intimate partner or other family member. The problem of violence against women in family is very complicated and the cause of it needs to be viewed through cultural, economical, judicial and political frames. The most prevalent risk factor for abusing during pregnancy is previous abuse in family and because of that we should recognise it as soon as possible, preferable before pregnancy. In that way we protect woman’s and child’s health, because trauma, stress, alcohol or drug abuse, and non-adequate health care during pregnancy can be the cause of serious negative consequences, even fatal, for woman and child. Discovering, treating and preventing from farther abuse is necessary to adequate resolve abuse against pregnant women. All of this is possible only through co-operation of gynaecologists and the rest of health workers with social services, administration of justice, police, non-government associations and other social structures.¬ In this review article we have used medical literature, but also literature of other professions involved in the system of victim protection (victims of family violence). It is desirable for the physicians and the rest of health workers who treat pregnant women to have some knowledge from those areas, too.
Keywords
family violence; pregnancy; consequences
Hrčak ID:
15533
URI
Publication date:
1.9.2003.
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