Femicide during pregnancy and postpartum period by an intimate partner: An integrative review

Abstract

Femicide, the most extreme expression of gender-based violence, is perpetrated primarily by intimate partners, and it also victimizes women during pregnancy and the postpartum period. This study aimed to analyze the scientific literature on intimate partner femicide among pregnant and postpartum women to determine the magnitude of this event, its risk factors, and the main information sources consulted to produce this data. A systematic search of six databases (PubMed, Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and PsycINFO) produced 885 articles published between 2000 and 2020. After careful analysis, ten articles that met the requirements of this study were selected. The results suggest that intimate partner femicide during pregnancy and the postpartum period was responsible for a significant number of homicides during that period. Firearm injuries are the most common cause of injury, affecting primarily Black, single, young women who utilize health services. Combinations of different information systems were used as a data source to identify femicides. The implementation of intersectoral prevention and protection policies is fundamental and contributes to breaking the invisibility and naturalization of violence committed by an intimate partner. It is also necessary to discuss the information qualification to classify this crime and the impact of violence on the maternal mortality rate.