KARACHI, Aug 30: Over 43 per cent of women in the city are victims of domestic violence, says a study carried out among pregnant women who visited the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

The study was carried out jointly by the New York-based non-governmental organization Population Council, the JPMC and the Ziauddin Medical University. Over a 100 obstetricians and 300 pregnant women were interviewed for the study.

The findings of the study were presented by Sadiqua N. Jafarey, Fariyal F. Fikree and Razia Korejo at a meeting organized by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Pakistan, at the PMA House on Saturday afternoon. Subhana Tayyab and others also spoke on the occasion.

The study was carried out to see if physical violence was also committed against women during pregnancy. The study shows that violence perpetrated against 23 per cent of women during present pregnancies, while 24 per cent faced violence during past pregnancies. Some 19 per cent of the women also faced sexual violence.

Main reasons for violence, according to the study, are disobedience to husbands and in-laws, going out without permission, financial issues and unfaithfulness. Some of the women faced violence for trying to practice family planning.

The reasons for women not coming forward to seek medical care in case of violence are inaccessibility of facilities, shame, high-cost, family reputation and unhelpful doctors.

The study also shows that the many obstetricians do not screen their patients for domestic violence. Some of the reasons are that doctors are not interested, they are uncaring and have no time.

Over 90 per cent of the women felt that doctors should inquire about violence. Fifty-five per cent felt that pregnancy was a good time when they regularly visited doctors who could ask if they faced any violence.

The women generally sought help from family members, friends, neighbours and hospitals, and the main assistance they sought was that somebody should mediate on their behalf.

The study says doctors are divided on whether screening for domestic violence should be done or not. Those supporting screening said that violence could result into emotional harm, physical harm, pregnancy-related complications, mental health problems and gynaecological complications.

The doctors who felt screening was not important said as they had no solutions they were helpless, it was invasion of patients’ privacy and doctors did not have; some of them thought that it was not their job.

Over 83 per cent of the obstetricians interviewed during the study suggested specific training including counselling skills in that regard.