Intimate partner violence in Turkey among women with female infertility

In developing countries, failing to conceive is a life crisis with effects on an individual's social life, including stigmatization, loss of social status, marital instability and even conflicts of gender. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between female infertility and intimate partner violence (IPV) in Turkey. This was a cross-sectional study including women with primary infertility who were admitted to University of Health Sciences Ankara Etlik Zubeyde Hanim Health Practice Research Center Hospital between August 2014 and February 2015. IPV was assessed using an Abuse Assessment Screen. Of the 142 participants, 68 (47.9%) confirmed the presence of IPV in their lives. The most common type of violence was psychological, with a prevalence of 76.5% (n = 52), followed by physical, sexual and both physical and sexual abuse, with 17.6% (n = 12), 4.4% (n = 3) and 1.5% (n = 1) prevalence, respectively. Women of low educational and economic level and women living in a compound family were found to be at greater risk for IPV. This high prevalence indicates that Turkey requires new policy for IPV immediately.