Reproductive Coercion Across Three Low to Middle-Income Country Contexts: Measurement, Prevalence and Associations With Contraceptive Use

Jay Silverman , University of California, San Diego
Sabrina Boyce, University of California, San Diego
Sneha Challa, University of California, San Diego
Jasmine Uysal, University of California, San Diego
Nicole Carter, University of California, San Diego
Anita Raj, University of California, San Diego

Although reproductive coercion (RC) is a prevalent form of gender-based violence demonstrated to increase contraceptive failure and unintended pregnancy in the U.S., little data exist on RC, its measurement, prevalence or associations with reproductive health in LMIC contexts. Data were collected among general population or clinic-based samples of women in three national contexts: Niger, India, and Kenya (total N=3048). Prevalence of RC was 9.8% in Niger, 12.1% in India, and 40.0% among the clinic-based sample in Kenya. Women and girls in Niger and Kenya experiencing RC were more likely to have used FP, specifically in cases where male partners were unaware of this use (i.e., covert use; AORs 1.93-5.09). However, women in India were 80% less likely to have used FP based on experiences of RC (AOR 0.19). Relative availability of FP methods that are difficult for male partners to detect is likely responsible for the observed pattern of results.

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 Presented in Session 1. Fertility, Family Planning, Sexual Behavior, & Reproductive Health 1