Intimate partner violence in the context of infertility: voices from women seeking assisted reproductive technology treatment and clinicians' perspectives.

Background: The interplay between infertility and intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pressing global health issue, yet qualitative evidence on this phenomenon is limited. In order to measure and prevent IPV, it is pivotal to explore and integrate perceptions and experiences from those women with infertility themselves on IPV definition and its phenomenal manifestations in the context of infertility.

Methods: This study is undertaken as part of a year-long ethnographic research based at a reproductive medicine center in Beijing, China from July 2022 to July 2023. Individual interviews with women attending ART outpatient clinics and with clinicians involved in infertility treatment were conducted. Grounded Theory methodology was used to guide data analysis, which entailed a three-step analytical approach.

Results: A total of 37 women and five clinicians were interviewed. Incomplete conceptualization of IPV and high mental stress among patients were evident. IPV against women with infertility has been shown to be a specific and severe form of IPV. The phenomenal manifestation of IPV in the context of infertility often takes the form of psychological abuse, including stonewalling, threats of divorce, and non-compliance with ART treatment.

Conclusion: The study revealed that the burden of fertility disproportionately falls on women, often intensified by the involvement of other family and cultural norms, exacerbating gender inequalities and IPV risks. Findings from this study calls for an immediate and comprehensive response in healthcare practice. IPV screening, health education, and structural interventions should be introduced to prevent and mitigate this issue.