The prevalence of intimate partner violence against women diagnosed with infertility in China: a national cross-sectional study
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) and infertility are significant global health and human rights concerns. Evidence has shown that infertile women face a higher risk of IPV, yet national-level data on its prevalence remain limited. This study aims to quantify the prevalence of IPV against infertile women in China and identify associated risk factors. METHODS: A national cross-sectional study was conducted in China from October 2021 to August 2022, using multistage stratified cluster sampling. Infertile women were recruited from 30 reproductive centers across ten provinces. A self-administered questionnaire, including the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS-2) and the Scale of Economic Abuse-12 (SEA-12), measured IPV in the past 12 months and over a lifetime. A structural equation model (SEM) explored risk factors for past-12-month IPV victimization. RESULTS: A total of 12,392 infertile women were included. The weighted 12-month prevalence of IPV was 34.1% (95% CI, 33.2%-34.9%) and lifetime prevalence was 44.2% (95% CI, 43.3%-45.1%). SEM identified female-factor infertility (standardized coefficient, 0.0473; P = .01) and ever-experienced infertility treatment failure (0.0774; P < .001) as direct drivers of 12-month IPV victimization. Other factors included the participant's unstable employment (0.0442; P = .006), non-nuclear family structure (0.0479; P = .01), and current male partner's adverse behaviours (0.5470; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Globally, this is the first national-level study to examine IPV against infertile women, revealing a high prevalence rate in China. The findings underscored the need for gender-transformative interventions and policy measures, including improving access to infertility care, integrating IPV screening in clinical practice, and funding evidence-based research. Such approaches can reduce IPV, promote reproductive health, and advance health equity.
Source: BMC Public Health
Institutions: Peking University, Peking University Third Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Renji Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Harbin Medical University, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Anhui Medical University, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia Medical University General Hospital, The Affiliated Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Kunming University of Science and Technology, First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,290
OpenAlex ID: W4416538305