National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Female Fertility Promotion, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China.
Institute of Population Research, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Rd, Haidian District, Beijing, China.
Reprod Health. 2024 Nov 18;21(1):164. doi: 10.1186/s12978-024-01906-x.
The interplay between infertility and intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pressing global health issue, yet qualitative evidence on this phenomenon is limited. In order to measure and prevent IPV, it is pivotal to explore and integrate perceptions and experiences from those women with infertility themselves on IPV definition and its phenomenal manifestations in the context of infertility.
This study is undertaken as part of a year-long ethnographic research based at a reproductive medicine center in Beijing, China from July 2022 to July 2023. Individual interviews with women attending ART outpatient clinics and with clinicians involved in infertility treatment were conducted. Grounded Theory methodology was used to guide data analysis, which entailed a three-step analytical approach.
A total of 37 women and five clinicians were interviewed. Incomplete conceptualization of IPV and high mental stress among patients were evident. IPV against women with infertility has been shown to be a specific and severe form of IPV. The phenomenal manifestation of IPV in the context of infertility often takes the form of psychological abuse, including stonewalling, threats of divorce, and non-compliance with ART treatment.
The study revealed that the burden of fertility disproportionately falls on women, often intensified by the involvement of other family and cultural norms, exacerbating gender inequalities and IPV risks. Findings from this study calls for an immediate and comprehensive response in healthcare practice. IPV screening, health education, and structural interventions should be introduced to prevent and mitigate this issue.
不孕与亲密伴侣暴力（IPV）之间的相互作用是一个紧迫的全球健康问题，但关于这一现象的定性证据有限。为了衡量和预防 IPV，探索和整合那些本身患有不孕的女性对 IPV 定义及其在不孕背景下表现的看法和经验至关重要。
本研究是在北京一家生殖医学中心进行的为期一年的民族志研究的一部分，从 2022 年 7 月至 2023 年 7 月。对参加 ART 门诊的女性和参与不孕治疗的临床医生进行了个体访谈。扎根理论方法用于指导数据分析，包括三步分析方法。
共访谈了 37 名女性和 5 名临床医生。明显存在对 IPV 的不完全概念化和患者的高度精神压力。针对不孕女性的 IPV 被证明是一种特定且严重的 IPV 形式。IPV 在不孕背景下的表现形式通常是心理虐待，包括冷暴力、离婚威胁和不遵守 ART 治疗。
研究表明，生育负担不成比例地落在女性身上，往往因涉及其他家庭和文化规范而加剧，从而加剧性别不平等和 IPV 风险。本研究的结果呼吁在医疗保健实践中立即采取全面应对措施。应引入 IPV 筛查、健康教育和结构干预措施，以预防和减轻这一问题。
