Prevalence of Domestic Violence among Infertile Women attending Subfertility Clinic of a Tertiary Hospital

INTRODUCTION: Millions of couples suffered from Infertility worldwide. Infertility can cause intense emotional pain in women resulting in stress, anxiety and depression. Domestic violence in infertile women can further results in poor health status and lowers the quality of life. The objective of this study is to find out the prevalence of domestic violence among infertile women attending subfertility clinic of tertiary hospital. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among infertile women in a tertiary hospital from July to August 2018 after taking ethical approval. Convenient sampling was used. Face to face interview was conducted using a structured interview schedule. Data analysis was done in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage) were used to analyze the data. Point estimate at 95% CI was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. RESULTS: Domestic violence was found among 62 (55.35%) women at 95% Confidence Interval (46.15-64.55). The emotional violence accounted for 57 (50.89%), physical violence for 19 (16.96%) and sexual violence for 18 (16.07%). The prevalence of domestic violence was more 22 (61.11%) in women with secondary infertility than in women with primary infertility 40 (52.63%). The main perpetrators of domestic violence were family members 28 (45.16%). CONCLUSIONS: The study concluded that women experiencing infertility are exposed to various forms of domestic violence, emotional one being most common. Routine screening for domestic violence in infertility clinics is necessary to give affected women an opportunity to access appropriate health care and support services.