Reproductive Control and Its Association with Dating Violence Among Ethnically Diverse Young Adult Females

Background

Reproductive control is a significant public health issue identified particularly among women in developing countries. This form of abuse includes pregnancy coercion and birth control sabotage and is linked to an elevated risk for unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Unsurprisingly, studies have linked reproductive control with intimate partner violence, with the bulk of research on populations in developing countries. US studies are primarily limited to clinical samples. To address this gap in the literature, the purpose of this study is to examine 1) the prevalence of reproductive control in a sample of adolescent/young adult females, 2) race/ethnic differences in reproductive control, and 3) the association of reproductive control with physical and sexual dating violence.

Methods

320 young adult females (Mean age = 20) reported on reproductive control using The Reproductive Coercion Scale. Dating and sexual violence were measured with the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory. Women self-identified as Hispanic (30.2%), White (29.8%), and African American (26.7%).

Results & Conclusion

9.4% of females in the current sample reported that they were victims of reproductive control in their lifetime. Most of these victims reported pregnancy coercion (e.g. “said he would leave you if you didn’t’ get pregnant?”), with a small portion (2%) experiencing birth control sabotage (e.g. “put holes in the condom so you would get pregnant?”). African American and Hispanic women were overrepresented in the reproductive control category relative to their White counterparts. Logistic regression analyses showed that victims of physical or sexual dating violence were approximately 6 times as likely to experience reproductive control compared with those who had not experienced dating violence. Findings suggest that reproductive control is prevalent and should be considered in both clinical screenings as well as dating violence prevention and intervention programs.