Dating violence is extremely prevalent among this population, and adolescent girls who report a history of experiencing dating violence are more likely to exhibit other serious health risk behaviors.

Background Reproductive control including pregnancy coercion (coercion by male partners to become pregnant) and birth control sabotage (partner interference with contraception) may be associated with partner violence and risk for unintended pregnancy among young adult females utilizing family planning clinic services. Study Design A cross-sectional survey was administered to females ages 16–29 years seeking care in five family planning clinics in Northern California (N=1278). Results Fifty-three percent of respondents reported physical or sexual partner violence, 19% reported experiencing pregnancy coercion, and 15% reported birth control sabotage. One third of respondents reporting partner violence (35%) also reported reproductive control. Both pregnancy coercion and birth control sabotage were associated with unintended pregnancy (AOR 1.83, 95% CI 1.36, 2.46, and AOR 1.58, 95% CI 1.14, 2.20, respectively). In analyses stratified by partner violence exposure, associations of reproductive control with unintended pregnancy persisted only among women with a history of partner violence. Conclusions Pregnancy coercion and birth control sabotage are common among young women utilizing family planning clinics, and in the context of partner violence, are associated with increased risk for unintended pregnancy.

Objectives-Child marriage in India is considered a major barrier to the nation's social and economic development, as well as a major women's health concern. The current study assesses prevalence of child marriage (i.e., marriage prior to the national legal age of 18 years) among young adult women in India, and associations between child marriage and women's fertility and fertility control behaviors. Participants-Analyses were restricted to women age 20-24 years (n=22,807) and the subsample of ever married women aged 20-24 years (n=14,628).Data Analysis-Prevalence estimates of child marriage were produced for all women 20-24 years. Using the ever married subsample, simple regression models, models adjusted for demographics, and models adjusted for demographics and duration of marriage were constructed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between child marriage and both fertility and fertility control outcomes.Authors' Contributions: Anita Raj, PhD, led conceptualization, conducted all analyses, and led manuscript development for this paper. Niranjan Saggurti, PhD, assisted with conceptualization, provided input into analytic approach, and assisted with manuscript development for this paper. Balaiah Donta, PhD, assisted with manuscript development and interpretation of study findings and implications for future directions in research and practice. Jay Silverman, PhD, assisted with conceptualization analytic approach, manuscript development, and interpretation of study findings. All authors participated as described above and both saw and approved this final submitted manuscript.Writing: There was no medical writer involved in this manuscript. Conflict of Interest Statement:All authors verify that they have no conflicts of interest regarding this work. There are no financial or personal relationships with other people or organisations that could inappropriately influence (bias) this work.Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Further, marriage at a very young age has grave health consequences for both child brides and their children. Women married as minors are more likely than those married as adults to report early, frequent and unplanned pregnancies (typically as a consequence of non-contraceptive use), which have been consistently linked to increased risk for maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. 1,2,6 Adolescent mothers are also more likely those of majority age to experience fistula, pregnancy complications, and death in childbirth. 2,5,6 Current United Nations (UN) prioritization of maternal ...

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This study sought to assess the association between traditional masculine gender role ideologies and sexual risk and intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration behaviors in young men's heterosexual relationships. Sexually active men age 18-35 years attending an urban community health center in Boston were invited to join a study on men's sexual risk; participants (N = 307) completed a brief self-administered survey on sexual risk (unprotected sex, forced unprotected sex, multiple sex partners) and IPV perpetration (physical, sexual and injury from/need for medical services due to IPV) behaviors, as well as demographics. Current analyses included men reporting sex with a main female partner in the past 3 months (n = 283). Logistic regression analyses adjusted for demographics were used to assess significant associations between male gender role ideologies and the sexual risk and IPV perpetration behaviors. Participants were predominantly Hispanic (74.9%) and Black (21.9%); 55.5% were not born in the continental U.S.; 65% had been in the relationship for more than 1 year. Men reporting more traditional ideologies were significantly more likely to report unprotected vaginal sex in the past 3 months (OR adj = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.2-4.6) and IPV perpetration in the past year (OR adj = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.2-3.6). Findings indicate that masculine gender role ideologies are linked with young men's unprotected vaginal sex and IPV perpetration in relationships, suggesting that such ideologies may be a useful point of sexual risk reduction and IPV prevention intervention with this population.

Objective Reproductive coercion (RC) – birth control sabotage and coercion by male partners to become pregnant and to control the outcome of a pregnancy -- has been associated with a history of both intimate partner physical and sexual violence (IPV) and unintended pregnancy among females utilizing reproductive health services. The temporal nature of associations of RC and unintended pregnancy (distinct from the impact of IPV), however, has remained less clear. Study Design A survey was administered to females ages 16–29 years seeking care in 24 rural and urban family planning clinics in Pennsylvania (N=3539). Results Five percent of respondents reported RC in the past 3 months and 12% reported an unintended pregnancy in the past year. Among those who reported recent RC, 21% reported past year unintended pregnancy. Compared to women exposed to neither condition, exposure to recent RC increased odds of past year unintended pregnancy, both in the absence of a history of IPV (AOR 1.79, 1.06–2.03) and in combination with a history of IPV (AOR 2.00, 1.15–3.48); history of IPV without recent RC was also associated with unintended pregnancy (AOR 1.80, 1.42–2.26). Conclusions Findings indicate the temporal proximity of the association of RC and unintended pregnancy, with recent RC related to past year unintended pregnancy, both independently and in combination with a history of IPV. Recent RC is relatively prevalent among young women using family planning clinics and is associated with increased risk for past-year unintended pregnancy even in the absence of IPV.

Objective To estimate (1) lifetime prevalence of physical and sexual victimisation from husbands among a national sample of Bangladeshi women, (2) associations of unwanted pregnancy and experiences of husband violence, and (3) associations of miscarriage, induced abortion, and fetal death/stillbirth and such victimisation.Design Cross-sectional, nationally representative study utilizing matched husband-wife data from the 2004 MEASURE Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey.Setting Bangladesh.Population Married Bangladeshi women ages 13-40 years old (n = 2677).Methods Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.Main outcome measures Relations of intimate partner violence to unwanted pregnancy, miscarriage, induced abortion and stillbirth.Results Three out of four (75.6%) Bangladeshi women experienced violence from husbands. Less educated, poorer, and Muslim women were at greatest risk. Women experiencing violence from husbands were more likely to report both unwanted pregnancy (ORs adj 1.46-1.54) and a pregnancy loss in the form of miscarriage, induced abortion, or stillbirth (ORs adj 1.43-1.69). Assessed individually, miscarriage was more likely among victimised women (OR adj 1.81). A nonsignificant trend was detected for increased risk of induced abortion (OR adj 1.64); stillbirth was unrelated to violence from husbands.Conclusion Intimate partner violence is extremely prevalent and relates to unwanted pregnancy and higher rates of pregnancy loss or termination, particularly miscarriages, among Bangladeshi women. Investigation of mechanisms responsible for these associations will be critical to developing interventions to improve maternal, fetal, and neonatal health. Such programmes may be vital to reducing the significant health and social costs associated with both husband violence and unwanted and adverse pregnancy outcomes.