The experiential expertise of primary care midwives in the detection of gender violence during pregnancy. Qualitative study

Abstract

AimTo use the reflections of primary care midwives to know the barriers and facilitators for detecting IPV during pregnancy. The second aim is to know proposals for measures to improve the detecting. MethodQualitative methodology with a interpretative phenomenological approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with twelve midwives, who work in the sexual and reproductive health care centers in Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona). ResultsThe difficulties in detection are the system of visits, the situation of women and barriers of the professional such as fear. The follow-up in the control of pregnancy and the relationship of trust with the midwife stand out as facilitators. The proposals for improvement were to increase training and use safe and reliable health care procedures. ConclusionsThe complexity of IPV makes it likely that IPV during pregnancy is undetected. It would be desirable to implement actions such as expanding training and agreeing on an internal work circuit that includes objective instruments to detecting IPV, coordination with other services and the ethical and legally appropriate way of recording in the clinical record.