"… he always slaps me on my ears": the health consequences of intimate partner violence among a group of patrilineal women in Ghana

Abstract

Intimate partner violence has implications for women's health globally. Patrilineal women have been shown to have increased risk of experiencing intimate partner violence, yet, the health consequences of intimate partner violence in patrilineal women have not been thoroughly explored or documented. This study used qualitative in-depth interviews to explore the health effects of intimate partner violence among 15 ever-partnered Ghanaian patrilineal women. Participants attributed violence to several factors including gendered domestic relations, cultural and marital rites and alcohol use, among other factors. Abused women reported health problems such as feelings of worthlessness, sleeplessness, suicidal ideation, eye injuries, bodily weakness, hypertension, genital sores and the premature termination of pregnancy. Policy makers should pay particular attention to intimate partner violence-related health consequences in designing health interventions for abused women.