author introduction
Associate researcher Wang Yuanyuan of the National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Third Hospital of Peking University, and Fu Yu, a graduate student of the Harvard School of Public Health are the co-first authors of the paper. The National Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Third Hospital of Peking University Academician Qiao Jie from the Center for Disease Clinical Medicine and Professor David E. Bloom from the Harvard School of Public Health are the co-corresponding authors of the paper. This research was supported by grants from the China Medical Foundation (CMB OC1-21-431) and the World Health Organization (GJ2-2021-WHOSO-10).
Thesis Interpretation
Infertility and intimate partner violence (IPV) are serious global concerns, but there is currently no global or regional lack of targeting of infertile women suffering from IPV Quantitative data on the status quo. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of IPV among infertile women in low- and middle-income countries and the sources of differences.
The study analyzed 30 relevant studies that were published worldwide by September 30, 2021 and met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The evidence from these studies came from Nigeria, Egypt, Rwanda, 9 countries: Turkey, Iran, India, Pakistan, Nepal and China.
Meta-analysis results show that: The overall prevalence of violence against intimate partner violence among infertile women in the past 12 months is 36.0%, of which: psychological violence 24.6% , physical violence 11.9%, sexual violence 8.7%, economic coercion 2.6%. The total violence prevalence rate of previous intimate partner violence among infertile women was 47.2%, of which: psychological violence 51.5% (slightly higher than the total violence prevalence due to different data sources), physical violence 20.2%, sexual violence 11.5%, economic coercion 9.8%. Infertile women were more likely to experience physical violence (about 2.03 times) and sexual violence (about 2.55 times) than women of normal reproductive age. At the same time, the above data are from 9 low- and middle-income countries, and there are large differences between different studies in terms of survey year, survey area, survey tool, sample size, and risk of bias assessment. It is suggested that the current global attention to this research question is insufficient, and due to the lack of standardization in survey tools and methodologies, high-quality, large-scale international epidemiological survey evidence is particularly scarce. According to 3 literature reports from China, the total incidence of intimate partner violence among Chinese infertile women in the past 12 months is between 10.5% and 26.9%. The survey data from different regions in my country are significantly lower than the global average. level. Due to the early survey year, small sample size, and lack of representativeness, it is necessary to further conduct a national epidemiological survey to obtain the latest high-quality research evidence.
Results of a systematic review analysis of the incidence of intimate partner violence in infertile women
Overall, more than 1 in 3 infertile women have experienced intimate partner violence in the past 12 months, and about 1 in 2 infertile women have experienced it in their lifetime Infertile women are more than twice as likely to experience intimate partner violence as women of normal reproductive age. In addition, infertile women are also more vulnerable to discrimination and psychological violence from other family members or peers in the community. Violence screening and counseling in infertility clinics can effectively promote the early identification and intervention of intimate partner violence. However, there is currently a lack of violence screening tools and counseling strategies for infertile populations. Gender inequality is the deep root cause of intimate partner violence against infertile women. Therefore, the issue of intimate partner violence against infertile women should be comprehensively addressed from multiple dimensions such as legislative protection, policy implementation, and social environment. To further promote women’s reproductive health and equal rights. Therefore, multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral, and international collaborative research on violence prevention and intervention strategies should be actively carried out to provide evidence-based evidence for prioritizing research areas and policy actions worldwide and in countries.
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Professor Sarah Murray and Christine Bourey, in a related commentary on the article, point out that the study sheds light on the global prevalence of intimate partner violence among infertile women Provided key scientific evidence and clearly identified next-step priority research areas, interventions and policy actions; based on the limitations and heterogeneity of the available evidence, further epidemiological investigations at global and regional scales are urgently needed, Develop violence survey tools specific to infertility populations and conduct cross-cultural adaptive research; qualitative research can help to gain a deeper understanding of the individual, social and cultural roots of violence, and can help researchers and policy makers develop more appropriate, more Effective comprehensive intervention strategies; also call attention to the range of psychological and social impacts of infertility on men.
The editorial published at the same time pointed out that the latest research results of Academician Qiao Jie’s team are important for achieving “leaving no-one behind” (leaving no- one behind), and the urgent need to include chronically neglected infertility and the range of psychological and social issues that arise from it on the global reproductive health and policy agenda; Since the birth of the world’s first test-tube baby, the field of assisted reproductive technology has experienced great progress and rapid development. Whether it is a developing country or a developed country, it is necessary to reduce the economic burden of patients receiving assisted reproductive technology treatment and improve the accessibility of assisted reproductive technology. Sex and affordability, helping infertile couples address fertility barriers and associated psychological and social impacts.
Chinese translation is for reference only, all content in English shall prevail.