Another reading on maternal and fetal outcomes as affected by partner violence in Latin America and the Caribbean opened my eyes up to the horrors and prevalence of this issue, which occurs in many nations around the world. According to the study done in Latin America, this issue is most highly associated with unplanned pregnancies. Also uncovered in the study was the overlapping of the issue with the disempowerment of women, which has been shown to increase prevalence of partner violence. Interestingly, whether a woman sought prenatal care was shown to decrease the prevalence of the issue, which may or may not be due to access and affordability of care. The study sought to define the issue in one region of the world, in order to effectively add intervention strategies to decrease the issue and its negative effect on fetal and maternal outcomes. Wanting to know more about the issue, I decided to look into the prevalence of this issue in the USA. As a citizen in this country, I believed there was a small magnitude of this problem. Upon investigation, however, I realized how prevalent the issue truly is. According to the CDC’s report in March of 2003, there are approximately 5.3 million victims of IPV each year. Out of this number 550,000 injuries require medical attention. I would interested in learning if the results of this study were implemented in a way that greatly decreased the prevalence of this issue. In addition, I am now increasingly more aware of the dangers of IPV both in my own country and others.
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