Homicide of an intimate male partner: the impact on the woman.

Using existential-phenomenological interview procedures, two women who killed their husbands during an altercation were asked to share their experiences. Analysis of individual transcripts was done within the context of a hermeneutical approach. Their stories are divided into three distant phases of their life: (1) choosing to fight back in order to live, (2) dealing with the legal system, and (3) the emotional aftermath. Hopefully, these women's stories will help healthcare providers become more diligent in assessing for intimate partner violence, more cognizant of the emotional needs of women who have killed their intimate partners, and more understanding when women continue to proclaim their love for their abusive partner.