The experiential expertise of primary care midwives in the detection of gender violence during pregnancy. Qualitative study

Abstract

Aim: To use the reflections of primary care midwives to find out the barriers and facilitators for detecting IPV during pregnancy. The second aim is to determine proposals for measures to improve detection of IPV.

Method: Qualitative methodology with a interpretative phenomenological approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12midwives, working in the sexual and reproductive health care centres of Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona).

Results: The difficulties in detection relate to the system of visits, the situation of women and barriers of practitioners themselves, such as fear. Follow-up of pregnancy and the relationship of trust with the midwife stand out as facilitators. The proposals for improvement were to increase training and use safe and reliable health care procedures.

Conclusions: The complexity of IPV makes it likely that IPV during pregnancy is undetected. It would be desirable to implement actions such as expanding training and agreeing on an internal work circuit that includes objective instruments to detect IPV, coordination with other services and ethical and legally appropriate way of recording in the clinical record.

Keywords: Embarazo; Intimate partner violence; Investigación cualitativa; Matronas; Midwives; Pregnancy; Qualitative methodology; Violencia de género.