TY - JOUR
T1 - (Non-)disclosure of lifetime sexual violence in maternity care
T2 - Disclosure rate, associated characteristics and reasons for non-disclosure
AU - de Klerk, Hannah W.
AU - van der Pijl, Marit S.G.
AU - de Jonge, Ank
AU - Hollander, Martine H.
AU - Verhoeven, Corine J.
AU - Montgomery, Elsa
AU - Gitsels-Van der Wal, Janneke T.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 de Klerk et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
PY - 2023/10
Y1 - 2023/10
N2 - Background In maternity care, disclosure of a past sexual violence (SV) experience can be helpful to clients to discuss specific intimate care needs. Little evidence is available about the disclosure rates of SV within maternity care and reasons for non-disclosure. Aim The aim of this study was to examine (1) the disclosure rate of SV in maternity care, (2) characteristics associated with disclosure of SV and (3) reasons for non-disclosure. Methods We conducted a descriptive mixed method study in the Netherlands. Data was collected through a cross-sectional online questionnaire with both multiple choice and open-ended items. We performed binary logistic regression analysis for quantitative data and a reflexive thematic analysis for qualitative data. Results In our sample of 1,120 respondents who reported SV, 51.9% had disclosed this to a maternity care provider. Respondents were less likely to disclose when they received obstetrician-led care for high-risk pregnancy (vs midwife-led care for low-risk pregnancy) and when they had a Surinamese or Antillean ethnic background (vs ethnic Dutch background). Reasons for non-disclosure of SV were captured in three themes: ‘My SV narrative has its place outside of my pregnancy’, ‘I will keep my SV narrative safe inside myself’, and ‘my caregiver needs to create the right environment for my SV narrative to be told’. Conclusions The high level of SV disclosure is likely due to the Dutch universal screening policy. However, some respondents did not disclose because of unsafe care conditions such as the presence of a third person and concerns about confidentiality. We also found that many respondents made a positive autonomous choice for non-disclosure of SV. Disclosure should therefore not be a goal in itself, but caregivers should facilitate an inviting environment where clients feel safe to disclose an SV experience if they feel it is relevant for them.
AB - Background In maternity care, disclosure of a past sexual violence (SV) experience can be helpful to clients to discuss specific intimate care needs. Little evidence is available about the disclosure rates of SV within maternity care and reasons for non-disclosure. Aim The aim of this study was to examine (1) the disclosure rate of SV in maternity care, (2) characteristics associated with disclosure of SV and (3) reasons for non-disclosure. Methods We conducted a descriptive mixed method study in the Netherlands. Data was collected through a cross-sectional online questionnaire with both multiple choice and open-ended items. We performed binary logistic regression analysis for quantitative data and a reflexive thematic analysis for qualitative data. Results In our sample of 1,120 respondents who reported SV, 51.9% had disclosed this to a maternity care provider. Respondents were less likely to disclose when they received obstetrician-led care for high-risk pregnancy (vs midwife-led care for low-risk pregnancy) and when they had a Surinamese or Antillean ethnic background (vs ethnic Dutch background). Reasons for non-disclosure of SV were captured in three themes: ‘My SV narrative has its place outside of my pregnancy’, ‘I will keep my SV narrative safe inside myself’, and ‘my caregiver needs to create the right environment for my SV narrative to be told’. Conclusions The high level of SV disclosure is likely due to the Dutch universal screening policy. However, some respondents did not disclose because of unsafe care conditions such as the presence of a third person and concerns about confidentiality. We also found that many respondents made a positive autonomous choice for non-disclosure of SV. Disclosure should therefore not be a goal in itself, but caregivers should facilitate an inviting environment where clients feel safe to disclose an SV experience if they feel it is relevant for them.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85173728815&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0285776
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0285776
M3 - Article
C2 - 37792790
AN - SCOPUS:85173728815
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 18
JO - PLoS ONE
JF - PLoS ONE
IS - 10 October
M1 - e0285776
ER -
