Male partner violence involves repeated abuse, committed by an intimate partner, someone you know and care about, over a period of time. A woman who has experienced this unimaginable betrayal by her intimate partner, the man she believed would protect and cherish her, struggles with the many complexities involved in male partner violence. I use autoethnography as methodology to share my own personal story of male partner violence and I explore, examine, and challenge the socio-cultural and socio-political norms that influenced me to stay in an abusive relationship and also leave the relationship. I include the knottiness of my healing journey after moving out and moving on. I use a silkscreen portrayal of male partner violence, a pen and ink self-portrait, photographs, poetry, court documents and journal entries to explore different perspectives of my experience and to examine the relationship between seeing, thinking, and knowing, and the complex nature of my experience of male partner violence. I struggle and untangle what kept me in the marriage for so long and share the stimulus for why I eventually left and I examine the very troubling effects of male partner violence on myself and my children. I share my guilt, shame, grief and loss but I also recognize my resourcefulness, strength, and determination to survive and move beyond male partner violence. I made many decisions along the way and I always felt caught in a losing dichotomy every time. Through a feminist way of viewing male partner violence and autoethnographic writing, I also examine social perceptions of male partner violence, domination, the loss of voice and power that occurs and the lack of support from traditional social institutions. While I understand that women experience male partner violence in different ways, this is my personal experience of living with and leaving male partner violence.

Even though social work research on violence against women has increased in the last decade (Slayter, 2009), there is little research on social workers’ understanding of disabled women’s experiences of male partner violence (MPV). When there is a gap in research and practice evidence, this may lead to less than ideal work experiences because social workers may be lacking crucial information, to deliver meaningful support and assistance to disabled women. Given these findings, it was essential to hear from social workers who had worked with disabled women who had experienced MPV. The aim of this investigation was to inquire about social workers’ perspectives, theoretical approaches and practice contexts related to disabled women who had experienced MPV. In this collective case study, sources of data that were accessed included federal and provincial government legislation, position documents, provincial archives, academic literature and thematic analysis of ten transcribed interviews of key participants. Findings showed that even though provincial government policies or programs were the main influences on social workers’ practices with disabled women who had experienced MPV, work settings and social workers’ attitudes also played a crucial role in how participants understood disability and male partner violence. Social workers in this current study often found themselves in the middle, trying to respect service users by meeting their needs, while remaining accountable to a system that demanded efficiency and accountability. Social workers often advocated for disabled women because of barriers such as a lack of accessible housing, transportation or work. Factors such as social welfare policies, social work education and training that shaped social workers’ practices could be strengthened to help them to better meet the needs of disabled women who have experienced MPV. / May 2017

The study was conducted in northern Ghana to determine the scope of male partner violence (MPV) against women, identify the factors associated with this problem as well as point out the health implications of MPV. In a sample of 443 married women drawn from outpatient populations across six district health centers we found that nearly 7 out of 10 women have experienced some MPV: 62% have experienced psychological violence; 29% have experienced physical violence; and 34% have experienced sexual violence. A multiple regression analysis showed that male controlling behavior, number of children, presence of concubines, partner appreciation, and very good health significantly predicted Total Violence. The results showed that the more controlling a husband is the more likely his wife is to experience severe violence and that more children in the marriage is associated with more violence for the women. Marriage duration was significantly positively correlated with violence, indicating that the longer the time since a woman got married, the more likely she experiences violence. Husband’s education was significantly negatively correlated with violence, indicating that husband education has a decreased effect on violence. Logistic regression and ANOVA models identified a number of socio-demographic factors as significant correlates of MPV. These include couple’s unemployment, particularly husband unemployment, being young – under 30 years and being younger than the husband, presence of concubines, being Muslim or Traditional, living in a rural setting, husband alcohol use, being a healthy woman, and not being appreciated by the husband. We found that MPV is associated with physical and mental health difficulties among women. Some 47 women reported having sustained multiple injuries, including sprains, broken bones and teeth, cuts, and burns. Mental health difficulties among these women included partner phobia, sleep deprivation, and thoughts of suicide. We make recommendations that call on government and other stakeholders to initiate policy that provides services to women experiencing MPV and that implements education and campaign programs to eventually eliminate MPV in Ghana generally.

The study was conducted in northern Ghana to determine the scope of male partner violence (MPV) against women, identify the factors associated with this problem as well as point out the health implications of MPV. In a sample of 443 married women drawn from outpatient populations across six district health centers we found that nearly 7 out of 10 women have experienced some MPV: 62% have experienced psychological violence; 29% have experienced physical violence; and 34% have experienced sexual violence. A multiple regression analysis showed that male controlling behavior, number of children, presence of concubines, partner appreciation, and very good health significantly predicted Total Violence. The results showed that the more controlling a husband is the more likely his wife is to experience severe violence and that more children in the marriage is associated with more violence for the women. Marriage duration was significantly positively correlated with violence, indicating that the longer the time since a woman got married, the more likely she experiences violence. Husband’s education was significantly negatively correlated with violence, indicating that husband education has a decreased effect on violence. Logistic regression and ANOVA models identified a number of socio-demographic factors as significant correlates of MPV. These include couple’s unemployment, particularly husband unemployment, being young – under 30 years and being younger than the husband, presence of concubines, being Muslim or Traditional, living in a rural setting, husband alcohol use, being a healthy woman, and not being appreciated by the husband. We found that MPV is associated with physical and mental health difficulties among women. Some 47 women reported having sustained multiple injuries, including sprains, broken bones and teeth, cuts, and burns. Mental health difficulties among these women included partner phobia, sleep deprivation, and thoughts of suicide. We make recommendations that call on government and other stakeholders to initiate policy that provides services to women experiencing MPV and that implements education and campaign programs to eventually eliminate MPV in Ghana generally.

Magister Public Health - MPH / Background: Although great strides have been made in reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MTCT) in Namibia, the universal target of less than 5% by 2015 has not yet been achieved. In an effort to scale-up services in the programme, a comprehensive family centred approach which broadens HIV prevention activities and considers HIV as a family disease was instituted. However its success has been affected by low male partner participation in the programme. Study aim: To investigate factors influencing male partner involvement in MTCT-plus programme in Gobabis District, Omaheke Region, Namibia. Study design and data collection: This was a cross sectional descriptive study that wasconducted using a qualitative research methodology. Data was generated through focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews. Four same sex FGDs were conducted with men and pregnant women. The study participants were HIV positive pregnant women and HIV positive women in their postnatal period purposefully selected from the PMTCT clients. A few male participants were partners of the female participants and other men conveniently sampled from the community. Seven in-depth interviews were conducted to gather information from key informants who were programme managers and midwives. Thematic analysis was used for the data analysis. Results: Men were generally knowledgeable and appreciated the importance of participating in the MTCT-plus programme but the majority of them did not participate. They cited several barriers to actively supporting their partners. Men‘s participation in the MTCT-plus programme was affected by lack of trust in the health workers and cultural practices that shift the role of taking care of their partners to the biological parents. The other barriers included HIV related stigma, unfriendly environment at the antenatal care clinics, time and work related constraints, having many sexual partners and gender and power imbalances in relationships that affect patterns of communication on HIV related matters. Discussion: Participation in the MTCT-plus programme is well supported by men. However, few men put this into practice because of complexities surrounding their specific role in women reproductive health issues, as well as cultural practices and health facilities organizational structures that preclude men from participation in the MTCT-plus programme. Given the positive attitude by men towards participation in this programme, creating a male friendly space within the MTCT-plus programme and empowering men to participate in them should be prioritized for the programme to achieve its goals.

Thesis advisor: Shanta Pandey / A growing body of literature, particularly from low and middle-income countries, has focused on the role of male involvement in maternal care as a crucial strategy to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes. The purpose of this three-paper dissertation is to add to this evidence base within the context of India, and to gain an in-depth understanding of one aspect of male involvement – that is, male partner attendance in antenatal care. This dissertation utilized data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3, 2005-06 and NFHS-4, 2015-16) and was framed using the Social Ecological Model, Connell’s Theory of Gender and Power and a Gender-Transformative lens. Paper 1 summarized the levels of male partner attendance in antenatal care and assessed changes over time. Further, multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the factors influencing male partner attendance in antenatal care. The results show an overall increase in male partner attendance in India during the period of 2005-06 to 2015-16, with the Southern region reporting the highest level of male partner attendance in both years. Higher level of education and household wealth, increased knowledge of pregnancy-related complications, older age at marriage, and women’s autonomy were positively associated with male partner attendance in antenatal care. Paper 2 examined the association between male partner attendance in antenatal care and maternal health service utilization. Controlling for all socio-demographic variables and adjusting for report of pregnancy complications, the results showed that women who were accompanied by a male partner for antenatal care reported increased odds of maternal health service utilization (early initiation of antenatal care, frequency of antenatal care contacts and institutional delivery). While the place of residence (rural/urban) did not influence the association between male partner attendance and maternal health service utilization, region had a significant moderating effect. Paper 3 examined the association between antenatal care and infant birth weight, adjusting for gestational age. Further, the analysis also assessed whether the relationship between antenatal care and infant birth weight varied by male partner attendance. Findings indicate that early initiation of antenatal care and maternal immunization was associated with reduced odds of low birth weight among infants. The results showed that male partner attendance in antenatal care did not have a moderating influence. Taken together, the findings of the three papers have implications for policy and practice; further, they provide support for interventions that aim for a more inclusive and gender-transformative approach to maternal and neonatal health. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social work.

Bakgrund: Våld mot kvinnor är ett allvarligt samhällsproblem som beskrivs som ett globaltfolkhälsoproblem. De senaste 10 åren har antalet anmälningar i Sverige gällande kvinnovåldökat med 30 procent. Kvinnovåld omfattar fysiskt, psykiskt och sexuellt våld. Våldet leder tillkonsekvenser för kvinnan som utsätts och stora kostnader för samhället. Våld mot kvinnor avnuvarande eller före detta manlig partner är ofta det som är mest våldsamt och upprepas ihögre grad än våld av kvinnor eller inom samkönade relationer. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva sjuksköterskans upplevelse av mötet med kvinnansom blivit utsatt för våld av sin nuvarande eller tidigare manliga partner. Metod: Denna litteraturöversikt gjordes i enlighet med Fribergs metod. Underlaget förresultatet var 11 vetenskapliga artiklar som belyser sjuksköterskans upplevelse av mötet medkvinnan som blivit utsatt för våld av nuvarande eller tidigare manlig partner. Artiklarnahämtades från databaserna Pubmed och Cinahl complete. Därefter analyserades artiklarnavilket mynnade ut i teman och subteman. Resultat: Litteraturöversikten resulterade i fyra teman: Emotionella möten, Sjuksköterskansroll, Faktorer som påverkar omvårdnaden och Organisation. Subteman till Emotionella möten:Sjuksköterskans känslor och Strategier för att hantera känslorna. Subteman tillSjuksköterskans roll: Psykosocial omvårdnad och Medicinsk omvårdnad. Subteman tillFaktorer som påverkar omvårdnaden: Tidstillgång och arbetsbelastning, Sjuksköterskansattityd och Benägenhet att fråga om våld. Subteman till Organisation: Riktlinjer, Utbildningoch Samarbete. Diskussion: Resultatet har diskuterats utifrån Katie Erikssons caritativa teori som syftar tillatt lindra lidande, samt utifrån Arbetsmiljöverkets och Världshälsoorganisationensrekommendationer. Vidare har sjuksköterskans upplevelse diskuterats i förhållande till studiersom belyser den våldsutsatta kvinnans upplevelse av mötet med sjuksköterskan. / Background: Violence against women is a social problem that is described as a globalpublic health problem. The last 10 years the number of complaints regarding violence againstwomen in Sweden has increased by 30 percent. Violence against women includes physical,psychological and sexual violence. The violence has consequences for the woman who isexposed and it also means large costs for the society. Violence against women by current orformer male partner is often more violent and repeated to a greater degree than violence bywomen or in same-sex relationships. Aim: The aim of the study was to describe nurses' experience of the encounter with thewoman who has been subjected to violence by current or former male partners. Method: This literature review was made in accordance with Friberg's method. The basis ofthe result was 11 scientific studies that highlight nurses' experience of the encounter with thewoman who has been subjected to violence by current or former partners. The studiesretrieved from PubMed and CINAHL complete. The studies were analyzed and resulted inthemes and subthemes. Results: The literature review resulted in four themes: Emotional meetings, Nurse's role,Factors that affecting the care and Organization. Subthemes to Emotional meetings: Nursesemotions and Strategies to manage the emotions. Subthemes to Nurse's role: Psychosocialcare and Medical care. Subthemes to Factors that affecting the care: Time access andworkload, Nurse´s attitude, Willingness to ask about violence. Subthemes to Organization:Guidelines, Education and Cooperation. Discussion: The result has been discussed in relation to Katie Eriksson caritative theorythat aims to relieve suffering. It has also been compared to the Swedish Work Environmentand the World Health Organization recommendations. Furthermore, the result of nurse'sexperience has been discussed in relation to studies that highlight abused women's experienceof the encounter with the nurse.

Female veterans' combat exposure to trauma places them at risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which has consequences for healthful reintegration to family and civilian life. Previous research found that wives who provide continuous care to male veterans with PTSD experience symptoms of psychological distress; however, little research has been conducted on the influence of female veterans' PTSD on their intimate male partners' (IMPs) psychological well-being. A multivariate correlational design was used to examine the influence of female veteran PTSD on psychological distress and relationship quality in IMPs. The couples' adaption to traumatic stress model was used as the theoretical framework. The research questions examined (a) the difference between female veterans with and without PTSD on the length of time in the relationship, combat experience, the total number of deployments, and IMP psychological distress and (b) the influence of female veterans' combat experience, PTSD, and IMP psychological distress on relationship quality. A sample of 71 IMPs between the ages of 18 and 65 provided survey research data on the variables of interest. Psychological distress, number of partner deployments, and length of time in relationship discriminated significantly between IMPS whose partners were diagnosed with PTSD, not diagnosed, or did not know about the PTSD diagnosis. The regression results revealed that the psychological distress of IMPs and the number of partner deployments positively predicted relationship quality. Attention to female veterans and their families can contribute to increased retention of female service members in the Army and successful integration into family and civilian life.

Bakgrund: Våld i nära relationer är ett brott mot mänskliga rättigheter och har en lång historia över århundraden. Det drabbar var tredje kvinna världen över och tar sig uttryck i många olika våldstyper, där den yttersta konsekvensen av våldet är att kvinnor mister livet. Män brukar oftast våld för att åstadkomma makt och kontroll över kvinnor. Våldet kan normaliseras och uppfattas vara normalt i relationen. Det finns en osäkerhet kring arbetet med våld i nära relationer hos sjuksköterskor oavsett tid inom yrket. Hälso- och sjukvårdens ansvar gällande våld i nära relationer innefattar att riktlinjer ska finnas för agerande vid misstänkt och bekräftad våldsutsatthet. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att beskriva kvinnors upplevelser av att vara utsatta för våld i nära relationer av manlig partner. Metod: Den strukturerade litteraturöversikten baserades på 15 vetenskapliga artiklar med kvalitativ och mixad metod. Sökning genomfördes i databaserna CINAHL och PubMed, där de vetenskapliga artiklarna inhämtades. Artiklarna genomgick en kvalitetsgranskning och sedan analyseras enligt Fribergs femstegsmodell. Resultat: I resultatet framkom det att våld inte förekom till en början, för att sedan debutera och uppkomma vid olika tidpunkter och händelser i relationen. Kvinnorna utsattes för fysiskt och psykiskt våld där även sexuellt våld samt ekonomiska och digitala dimensioner ingick. Deras psykiska hälsa, självbild och känsloliv blev negativt påverkade. Männen upplevdes vara våldsamma och passiva i relationen, och kvinnorna anpassade sig efter männens våldsutövande. Slutsats: Våld utövas på många sätt och det finns inte en viss typ av kvinna som drabbas. De våldsutsatta kvinnorna utsätts för ett stort lidande som kan yttra sig på olika sätt och som orsakar fysiska och psykiska konsekvenser. Då lidandet är omfattande och våldsutsatthet är svårt att se utifrån är det viktigt som sjuksköterska att fråga om våld. / Background: Intimate partner violence is a violation of human rights and has a long history throughout decades. It affects every third woman across the world and takes many forms, with the utmost consequence being that women lose their lives due to violence. Men use violence to achieve power and control over women. Violence becomes normalized and such is perceived as a normal part of the relationship. Nurses experience insecurity when working with intimate partner violence regardless of the length of time spent in the profession. Healthcare’s responsibility regarding intimate partner violence includes establishing guidelines for actions when violence is either suspected or confirmed. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe women’s experiences of being a victim of intimate partner violence committed by a male partner. Method: The structured literature review was based on 15 scientific articles with a qualitative or mixed method. The search for articles was done in the databases CINAHL and PubMed to later undergo review of quality and analysis using Fribergs five-step model. Results: The result shows that violence does not occur during the beginning of the relationship but debuts and arises during different times and events. Women were subjected to psychical and psychological violence, where sexual violence as well as economic and digital dimensions were included. Their mental health, self-image and emotions became negatively affected. The men were perceived as violent and passive in the relationship, and the women adapted themselves to the men’s violence. Conclusions: The violence is executed in many ways and there is not a certain type of woman who is affected. The abused women are subjected to an immense suffering which can present in different ways and cause physical and psychological consequences. Due to the tremendous suffering and violence being hard to detect, it is important for nurses to ask questions regarding violence.

O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a influência da implantação do projeto Pré-natal do parceiro (PNP) no município de Ribeirão Preto sobre: 1) as taxas das infecções pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV), vírus das hepatites B e C (VHB, VHC) e pelo Treponema pallidum (TP) entre gestantes; 2) as taxas de transmissão vertical (TV) dos VHB, VHC, do HIV e do TP; 3) os indicadores de qualidade do pré-natal (número de consultas; idade gestacional (IG) na primeira consulta; desfecho gestacional); 4) os indicadores perinatais (peso ao nascer; prematuridade; índice de Apgar no 1º e 5º minutos) e 5) as taxas das infecções pelos VHB, VHC, do HIV e do TP nos parceiros que aderiram ao projeto. Estudo transversal do grupo de gestantes (G) e nascidos vivos (NV) que tiveram seus parceiros participantes do projeto PNP (denominados G1 e NV1) e do grupo de gestantes e NV que não tiveram seus parceiros participantes do projeto PNP (denominados G2 e NV2). Os grupos de gestantes e parceiros foram incluídos no estudo no período de 1º de Julho de 2013 a 30 de Junho de 2014 e os grupos de NV, entre 1º de Julho de 2013 a 31 de Dezembro de 2014. Foram selecionadas 5391 gestantes (1781 do G1 e 3610 do G2), 1781 parceiros e 4044 NV (1376 do NV1 e 2668 do NV2). Utilizado o teste Quiquadrado de Pearson com um nível de significância de 5%. Os resultados demonstraram prognósticos estatisticamente mais favoráveis no grupo onde houve a participação do parceiro no pré-natal (G1 e NV1). Encontraram-se menores taxas de TV (0,7% no NV1 e 1,5% no NV2 com p= 0,04); início mais precoce do PN (com até 120 dias de gestação 88,3% no G1 e 84,5% no G2 com p< 0,01); mais de sete consultas no PN (80,8% no G1 e 74,3% no G2 com p< 0,01); desfecho gestacional favorável (95,9% no G1 e 94,2% no G2 com p= 0,01); menores taxas de prematuridade (10,3% no NV1 e 12,9% no NV2 com p= 0,01), menor ocorrência de baixo peso ao nascer (8,7% no NV1 e 11,4% no NV2 com p< 0,01) e melhores índices de Apgar no 5º minuto (2,5% de Apgar <= 7 no NV1 e 3,8% no NV2 com p= 0,03). Frente a estes dados foi possível concluir que a estratégia de inclusão do parceiro no PN foi importante na identificação e tratamento da sífilis reduzindo significativamente a taxa de TV do TP. A adesão do parceiro ao PNP foi fundamental para a adesão da gestante ao PN associando-se também à melhora significativa dos indicadores de saúde perinatal / The goal of these study was to evaluate of the influence of the implementation of the project \"Male Partner in the Prenatal Care (MPPC)\" in Ribeirao Preto city on: 1) the rates of infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis virus B and C (HBV, HCV), and Treponema pallidum (TP) among pregnant women; 2) the vertical transmission (VT) rates of HBV, HCV, HIV and TP; 3) the prenatal care quality indicators (number of visits, gestational age (GA) at the first visit, gestational outcome); 4) the perinatal indicators (birth weight, prematurity, Apgar score at 1 and 5 minutes) and 5) the rates of infection with HIV, HBV, HCV and TP in partners that have joined the project. It is a cross-sectional study of group of the pregnant women (G) and born alive (BA) who had their partners participating MPPC project (called G1 and NV1) and the group of pregnant women and BA who have not had their partners participants (called G2 and NV2). The pregnant women groups and the male partners group were surveyed in the period from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014 and the BA groups, between July 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014. Were selected 5391 pregnant women (1781 of the G1 and 3610 of the G2), 1781 partners and 4044 BA (1376 of the NV1 and 2668 of the NV2). Used the Chi-square test of Pearson with a 5% significance level. The results showed statistically more favorable prognosis in the group where there was the partner\'s participation in prenatal care (G1 and NV1). The lower VT rate was found (0.7% in NV 1 and 1.5% in NV2 p= 0.04); earlier initiation of PN (up to 120 days of gestation 88.3% in G1 and 74.3% in G2 with p< 0.01); more than seven consultations in PNC (80.8% in G1 and 74.3% in G2 with p< 0.01); favorable pregnancy outcome (95.9% in G1 and 94.2% in G2 with p= 0.01); lower prematurity rates (10.3% in the NV1 and 12.9% in the NV2 with p= 0.01); lower incidence of low birth weight (8.7% in NV1 and 11.4% in NV2 with p< 0.01) and better Apgar scores at five minutes (2.5% Apgar <= 7 in NV1 and 3.8% in NV2 with p= 0.03). Considering these data it was concluded that the male partner\'s inclusion strategy in prenatal care was important in the identification and treatment of syphilis reducing significantly the VT rate of the TP. The partner\'s adherence to MPPC project was essential to the mother\'s adherence to PNC and it was also associated with significant improvement in perinatal health indicators.