Intimate partner violence in a young pregnant woman at National Hospital Abuja, Nigeria

Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is a serious public health issue globally. Worldwide, 40-70% of female murder is committed by intimate partners.[1] In Sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 40% of women have reported experiences of abuse by their intimate partners.[2] The prevalence of domestic violence during pregnancy in Nigeria ranges between 2.3-44.6%, with lifetime prevalence rates ranging between 33.1-63.2%.[3] IPV among pregnant women is of great concern because of deleterious impacts on the pregnancy such as antepartum hemorrhage, intrauterine growth retardation, trauma, perinatal death, abortion/miscarriage, low birth weight, preterm delivery, as well as risk of homicide.[4].