Browsing by Author "Lo Fo Wong, Sylvie (12806239900)"

Objective: This study aimed to identify whom women in Serbia approach for help in case of intimate partner violence (IPV), their reasons for seeking help and their satisfaction with the received help. Methods: A cross-sectional, population-based household survey of a random sample of women aged 15-49 years was conducted in Belgrade (WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence against Women). A standard questionnaire was administered by trained interviewers through face-to-face interviews. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 1456 women and 1196 of them ever had an intimate partner. Almost one in four ever-partnered women reported experiencing either physical and/or sexual violence, at least once in their life. Among these abused women, ~22% had ever sought help from formal institutions. Police and health services were most commonly approached (12% and 10% of abused women, respectively). Satisfaction with services was highest for health services and legal advice and lowest for police and social services. Women sought help especially when violence had a severe impact on them or when they saw that their children suffered. Women who did not seek help stated that they believed that the violence was bearable or had ended. Other reasons for not seeking help were fear of undesirable consequences of seeking help and lack of trust in institutions. Conclusions: From the abused women's perspective, health care services are the institutions with the highest potential to help women in cases of IPV. Developing a comprehensive health sector response is of critical importance to ensure appropriate care and referral. © The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

Women who have experienced intimate partner violence use health care services more often than non-abused women, but it is unclear what they expect from physicians in relation to their intimate partner violence experience. In this study the authors explored whether women in Serbia expect physicians to help them after having experienced intimate partner violence, what kind of help the women expected, and if none, why none is expected. The authors of this study conducted structured interviews with 120 women who visited six primary healthcare centres. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed applying content analyses. The majority of women (81.7%) expected healthcare professionals to help them in the event of intimate partner violence, mainly through giving advice, information, contacting other institutions, services, and providing understanding and support. Fewer women expected help in the form of documenting violence and contacting police. Only a minority (8.3%) did not expect help, noting that intimate partner violence is beyond the scope of healthcare professionals' interest or competencies, and/or that violence was a private problem, while 10% were unsure about the role of physicians in the case of intimate partner violence. The majority of women in this study expected help with intimate partner violence. Physicians should be aware of these expectations and how to provide support to women experiencing intimate partner violence. © 2011 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.