الفهرس 
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Abstract
Violence against pregnant women is a significant social problem and a major health problem in the world. It is estimated that 25.0% of women worldwi~e have been victims of intimate partner violence. This study was aimed to assess the patterns and causes of domestic violence (DV) during pregnancy. It was carried out at ante-natal clinics in 5 health centers in Port-Said. The study subjects consisted of 400 users of antenatal care services. An interview schedule was designed and utilized to collect the necessary data. The results of this study revealed about (39.5%) of women were exposed to domestic violence in the current pregnancy, and DV can take many forms including physical (38.6%), emotional (95.6%), sexual (13.9%), and economic violence (65.1 %). It not only has devastating physical and psychological consequences on its victims, but can seriously damage the foundations of the family leading to its disintegration. A significant relation was found between the DV and related independent variables among the studied pregnant women. It was concluded that violence during pregnancy may be more common than many conditions for which women are routinely screened or evaluated during pregnancy including preeclampsia, placenta previa, and gestational diabetes. Therefore, the study recommended the development and dissemination of training courses and education programs for the decision makers, workers in health care settings and antenatal clinics to raise awareness of the seriousness of domestic violence facing pregnant women and how to address it.