The World Health Organization identifies IPV as a global public health concern that affects millions of people and has long-lasting health, social, and economic consequences. IPV can happen in any intimate relationship regardless of income, length of relationship, living arrangements, marital status, or social status. IPV can include emotional and psychological abuse, physical abuse, sexual and reproductive abuse, financial abuse, spiritual abuse, and technology-facilitated violence. Examples of some of the types of IPV are included below.
In 2020, 6-8% of Canadian women reported suffering intimate partner violence while pregnant. Violence during pregnancy can have harmful effects on the pregnant person as well as the unborn child both during and after the pregnancy. Compared to violence outside of pregnancy, violence during pregnancy is linked to more severe forms of violence, more frequent violence, and a rise in harmful health effects.
Intimate partner violence during pregnancy has been linked to several harmful effects for both the pregnant person and the fetus.
Effects on the pregnant person include:
Effects on the fetus include:
Exposure to intimate partner violence during pregnancy can also lead to several harmful effects on the health and well-being of the pregnant person and baby during the post-partum period, some of which impact the child’s development long term. These include:
There are a variety of reasons why people do not or cannot leave a violent or abusive relationship. Social, legal, financial, psychological, physical, and/or systemic elements influence an individual’s ability to leave, including the following:
It is important to remember that people experiencing intimate partner violence often do not have easy options if they are trying to leave an abusive relationship. Individuals want the abuse to stop but need assistance. Supporting people, whether they choose to stay with or leave their partner, is important to reduce feelings of isolation and negative health consequences.