Building the Evidence Between Gender-Based Violence and Maternal and Perinatal Health: A South African Bio-Behavioural Longitudinal Study

Naeemah Abrahams of the South African Medical Research Council will study the impact of gender-based violence on the health of mothers and children in South Africa to better inform prevention and health strategies. Gender-based violence affects one in three women globally, and rates are high in Africa, particularly for women of reproductive age. However, the effects on their health remain largely unknown, in part because of the lack of follow-up studies. They will analyze data from an ongoing longitudinal study, covering over 36 months, of over 1,600 women in South Africa, and they will perform statistical analyses to identify associations between the types of violence that they suffered, such as from intimate partners or during pregnancy, and the effects on HIV acquisition, pregnancy outcomes and their mental health. They will also identify factors that can influence these outcomes, such as physical injuries or lack of social support.