Research highlights the link between women's exposure to violence and higher rates of abortion and miscarriage.

The paper, recently published in the journal PLOS ONE, presents data on the sexual and reproductive health of a sample of more than 3,000 German women who were assessed in relation to their experience of violence, both during childhood and later in adulthood.

The results of the study, coordinated by Diogo Costa of the Research Centre for Human Development at the Faculty of Education and Psychology, reveal the negative consequences of this exposure for women's sexual and reproductive health.

Let's look at some examples. Women who have experienced physical violence since the age of 16 are more likely to have a miscarriage, and those who have experienced psychological violence from a caregiver during childhood are almost twice as likely to have ever had an abortion.

Addressing violence as a public health issue

The study highlights the importance of treating violence as a serious public health issue. “Direct assessment of experiences of violence should be carried out by health professionals during clinical care, especially by obstetricians and gynaecologists, to prevent adverse effects on women's sexual and reproductive health,” says Diogo Costa.

The researcher stresses that this study is a strong call for prevention, as it "highlights the need to assess and take into account these exposures".

The paper suggests a multi-sectoral approach to tackling violence, involving the health, education and research sectors as well as policy makers.

The paper is entitled “Sexual and reproductive health outcomes of women who experienced violence in Germany: Analysis of the German health interview and examination survey for adults (DEGS1)”  and is also signed by Antonia Marie Wellmann (Department of Population Medicine and Health Services Research, School of Public Health, Bielefeld University).