Intimate partner violence experience, support seeking and coping strategies among pregnant women in Southwestern Uganda.

ABSTRACT: Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy remains a global health challenge. This study aimed to explore pregnant women's experiences of IPV, support seeking, and coping strategies in Southwestern Uganda. Pregnant women who had experienced IPV during pregnancy were purposively selected and completed in-depth interviews, with data saturation reached after 25 participants. Guided by the feminist theory, data were analyzed deductively and inductively using thematic analysis. Participating pregnant women were exposed to physical violence (e.g., the gravid abdomen being stepped on), psychological violence (e.g., verbal abuse), sexual violence (e.g., being forced into uncomfortable sexual positions), and financial control and manipulation (e.g., economic dependency used as a means of cont

SUBMITTER: Katushabe E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12768344 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature