This podcast episode focuses on this original article.

Study Background

Hypothesis: infertility specialists commonly encounter IPV yet are not well equipped to identify abuse and offer appropriate resources and referrals because of a lack of knowledge and awareness as well as stigmatizing perceptions regarding IPV victims. 

WHY

• Infertility may be a risk factor for IPV

• lack of knowledge of role of infertility specialists in identifying and caring for victims of IPV

WHO

• medical directors at US fertility clinics

• up to 6 clinics were contacted per state, selected from semi-randomized list of reproductive endocrinology practices

WHEN

• 4 months during the spring–summer of 2020

HOW

• 47-item survey questionnaire

• validated survey, developed by the Violence Against Women Health Research Collaborative

• added nine questions uniquely applicable to infertility care

• Letters mailed with instructions to type survey link into SurveyMonkey

• Followed-up letter with two electronic reminders

Results

• 46% response rate (95/200 responses)

• More in podcast!

Resources - Domestic Violence

Futures without Violence, www.futureswithoutviolence.org

National Domestic Violence Hotline www.thehotline.org or 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

National Network to End Domestic Violence, www.nnedv.org, a national organization of state domestic violence coalitions.

Resources - Research

Barishansky SJ, Shapiro P, Meyman G, Pavone ME, Lawson AK. Reproductive endocrinologists' knowledge and attitudes in the identification of intimate partner violence [published online ahead of print, 2021 Sep 16]. Fertil Steril. 2021;S0015-0282(21)01934-8. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2021.08.011

Cheng D, Horon IL. Intimate-partner homicide among pregnant and postpartum women. Obstet Gynecol. 2010;115(6):1181-1186. doi:10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181de0194

Sharifi F, Jamali J, Larki M, and Roudsari RL. “Domestic Violence Against Infertile Women : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal [SQUMJ], vol. 1, no. 1, June 2021, doi:10.18295/squmj.5.2021.075.

Smith SG, Zhang X, Basile KC, Merrick MT, Wang J, Kresnow M, Chen J. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2015 Data Brief – Updated Release. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/2015data-brief508.pdf