Citation

Renker PR. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Neonatal Nurs. 2006; 35(1): 56-67.

Affiliation

The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus, OH.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1552-6909.2006.00018.x

PMID

16466353

Abstract

Objective: To describe teenagers' experiences with perinatal violence assessment. Design: A descriptive design utilizing qualitative content analysis. Setting: Participants were recruited from gynecologic clinics of two level III maternity units and interviewed offsite. Participants: Twenty nonpregnant teenagers between the ages of 18 and 20 years who had experienced physical or sexual abuse in the year before or during (or both) a pregnancy occurring within the last 3 years were recruited for this study, regardless of past pregnancy outcome. Methods: Data were analyzed using categorical content analysis. Results: Participants reported a range of violence experiences from their parents, current and past intimate partners, and gangs (groups). Four categories emerged that addressed their reasons for not disclosing violence to their health care providers: Power/Powerlessness, Fear/Hope, Trust/Mistrust, and Action/Inertia. Conclusions: Abused teenagers have unique needs and concerns that should be addressed when providing pregnancy care.