Violence and fear of childbirth : A study of violence among women who received midwifery care for fear of childbirth

Violence against women is a global public health problem as well as a violation against human rights. This descriptive cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted to investigate experience of violence among women who receive midwifery care for childbirth fear. Data were retrieved from 633 patient records. In addition, all obstetric clinics offering care for fear of childbirth in Sweden were asked via e-mail about routines with regard to violence. Response rate was 56 percent. The results showed that only 50 percent of pregnant women had been asked about violence as part of the medical history, despite the national recommendation that all pregnant women should be asked about the subject. Among women who received midwife-led counseling for childbirth fear, 34 percent had reported some form of violence during their lifetime. All obstetric clinics follow the recommendations of The National Board of Health and Welfare regarding the appropriate skills within the team, although supplementary courses taken by the midwives at the clinics do differ. Midwives can play a crucial role for the survival and well-being of women faced with domestic violence. Midwives should keep in mind that there may be earlier or ongoing violence that contributes to the woman´s fear of childbirth. Våld mot kvinnor är ett globalt folkhälsoproblem samt ett brott mot mänskliga rättigheter. Denna deskriptiva tvärsnittsstudie med kvantitativ ansats genomfördes för att undersöka våldsutsatthet bland kvinnor som fått barnmorskeledd behandling av förlossningsrädsla. Data från 633 journaler inhämtades. Samtliga obstetriska kliniker i Sverige som erbjuder behandling av förlossningsrädsla tillfrågades via e-post om rutiner kring våldsutsatthet. Svarsfrekvensen var 56 procent. Resultatet visade att endast 50 procent av gravida kvinnor hade tillfrågats om våld som en del av anamnesen, trots rekommendationen att alla gravida kvinnor ska tillfrågas. Av kvinnor som fått barnmorskeledd behandling av förlossningsrädsla, hade 34 procent rapporterat att de erfarit någon form av våld under sin livstid. Samtliga obstetriska kliniker som ingick i studien följer Socialstyrelsens rekommendationer om lämplig kompetens i teamen, även om det finns stor variation gällande barnmorskornas påbyggnadsutbildningar. Barnmorskor kan spela en avgörande roll för våldsutsatta kvinnors överlevnad och hälsa. Barnmorskor bör ha i åtanke att det kan finnas tidigare eller pågående våldsproblematik som bidrar till kvinnans förlossningsrädsla.