Perceptions of Brazilian women at a public obstetric outpatient clinic regarding domestic violence: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to explore women’s perceptions of violence, its causes, manifestations, consequences and responses to prevent and confront domestic violence against women in Brazilian society. DESIGN: We conducted a qualitative study with individual, semistructured interviews. We used thematic analysis and discussed the data considering the ecological framework. SETTING: The study was conducted in an antenatal and postnatal care service in the Brazilian National Health System. Data collection was conducted in October 2022. PARTICIPANTS: The sample selection was intentional and sampling was conducted according to the data saturation criterion. Twelve women who attended an antenatal and postnatal care service were interviewed. The participants reported different experiences of domestic and family violence throughout their lives. RESULTS: Based on the analysis, four themes were identified: (1) between the public and the private spheres: violence against women and its manifestations, causes and particularities; (2) factors that increase vulnerability; (3) protection system and support network: strengths and weaknesses; and (4) alternatives for the prevention and elimination of violence. CONCLUSIONS: The perceptions of Brazilian women during pregnancy and the postpartum period regarding domestic violence included a multifaceted view of violence. The women’s discourse demonstrated the difficulties that they faced in interrupting the cycle of violence and accessing support networks.