Intimate Partner Violence among Sample of Married Women Attending Primary Health Care Center in Al-Russafa Sector, 2018

Background: Violence against women is a universal phenomenon that persists in all countries of the world. It’s not limited to cultural, geographic, religious, social, economic or national boundaries. therfore aimed of study was Explore the prevalence of IPV against married women attending the primary health care centers (PHCs) of Al Ressafa Sector. Methods: Cross-sectional study with analytic component was carried out on total of 200 women attending in the PHCCs in Al Ressafa Sector during period March- June 2018. A modified version of WHO domestic violence questionnaire was used for the direct interview in this study. All married women attended the PHCCs and meeting the eligibility criteria were informed about the purpose of the study. Results: Out of the total sample (200) the results demonstrated that the overall prevalence of violence was (80%); the emotional violence is the most frequent type of domestic violence followed by controlling behavior type (43.5%), physical violence (36.5%), economic violence (30%), and sexual violence (18%). Conclusions: The majority of women were victims of IPV, and most common type was the emotional violence, followed by controlling behavior. The high rate of IPV need for enacting & enforcing a national law to combat domestic violence & screening primary health setting to identify victims of IPV in order to prevent these abuses & associated unnecessary physical & mental disability.