Coerced sexual debut and lifetime abortion attempts among women in Rakai, Uganda.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether reported coercion at sexual debut is associated with a greater lifetime risk of attempting an abortion among women in Rakai, Uganda.


METHODS
Analysis of data from sexually experienced, ever-pregnant women in a longitudinal, population-based, open cohort study in 56 rural communities in Rakai, Uganda (n=4784). For univariate analysis, the t test was used for continuous variables and the Pearson chi(2) or Fisher exact tests for categorical variables. Multivariate logistic regression was used to control for potential confounding.


RESULTS
Twenty percent of women reported coercion at sexual debut. Compared with women who reported consensual sexual debut, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of subsequent abortion attempts among coerced women was 1.57 (95% CI, 1.11-2.20).


CONCLUSIONS
There is a need to protect women from sexual coercion, implement policies for prevention of violence, and provide comprehensive reproductive health care, including prevention of unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortions.
Polis
Chelsea B
CB
Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. cpolis@jhsph.edu
Lutalo
Tom
T
Wawer
Maria
M
Serwadda
David
D
Kigozi
Godfrey
G
Nalugoda
Fred
F
Kiwanuka
Noah
N
Gray
Ronald
R
D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003068:Coercion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011902:Rape; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014454:Uganda; D055815:Young Adult