Gender violence and reproductive health

The available literature reflects the growing interest in gender violence and reproductive health. Violence is generally studied by identifying pathologies, measuring their demands on services and evaluating their repercussions on fetal outcome. Institutional violence, however, has received little attention and is mainly concerned with the consequences of inappropriate use of technologies. Data from the Sexuality and Health Feminist Collective shows that among patients, 20.5% stated that they have never talked about their sexual life with their partners; 38.3% stated that they have had sexual intercourse against their will, including situations ranging from sexual harassment to rape which was referred by 12.3% of them. One of the most relevant issues arising from the anamnesis and interviews of these women was the violence to which they were submitted by health services. The high prevalence of violent situations indicates the urgency of incorporating an approach which deals with gender violence and promotes the empowerment of women into the routine of reproductive health services. (C) 1998 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.