Intimate partner violence has implications for women’s health
globally. Patrilineal women have been shown to have increased
risk of experiencing intimate partner violence, yet, the health
consequences of intimate partner violence in patrilineal women
have not been thoroughly explored or documented. This study
used qualitative in-depth interviews to explore the health effects
of intimate partner violence among 15 ever-partnered Ghanaian
patrilineal women. Participants attributed violence to several factors
including gendered domestic relations, cultural and marital rites and
alcohol use, among other factors. Abused women reported health
problems such as feelings of worthlessness, sleeplessness, suicidal
ideation, eye injuries, bodily weakness, hypertension, genital sores
and the premature termination of pregnancy. Policy makers should
pay particular attention to intimate partner violence-related health
consequences in designing health interventions for abused women.