Women’s Reactions and Health Disorders Caused by Abuse During the Pregnancy-Postpartum Period

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine women’s reactions to violence, and reproductive health problems as a result of violence, during the pregnancy-puerperal period. The study was conducted in two villages of central Sulawesi: Sunju Village in Sigi Biromaru Regency and Tanjung Batu Town in Donggala Regency. The main population of interest was married women of childbearing age who were pregnant, in the puerperal period, had been pregnant, had given birth a maximum of 2 years previously, or who had experienced violence in the past. The data collection was completed through structured interviews, in-depth interviews, observations, and a Focus Group Discussion (FGD). The results showed that women who are victims of violence generally go to traditional midwives for childbirth, while women in town in general go to rural midwives. The typical response of wives to reproductive health problems is silence, and this is the first choice of reaction for victims of violence in villages and cities. However, if the violence is considered to endanger the health and safety of their lives, women in the village generally report the violence to a customs agency called “Pabisara Ada”, while women in town choose to fight or avoid it, rather than to report their husband’s actions.