Violence against women during pregnancy and postpartum period: a mixed methods study protocol.

Introduction: Violence against women is a public health problem that poses serious consequences for victims and their environments. The healthcare system struggles to assess this phenomenon during prenatal and postpartum care because of pregnant and postpartum women's potential vulnerabilities. The research protocol presents the aims to evaluate the prevalence of violence, the period(s) in which it occurs, aggressors and forms it takes as well as to explore how violence against women is perceived among pregnant and postpartum women.