Intimate partner violence and contraception use among women in Sub-Saharan Africa.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the association between contraceptive use and intimate partner violence (IPV) in Sub-Saharan African women.


METHODS
The data analyzed were from national Demographic Health Surveys conducted between 2003 and 2006 in 6 Sub-Saharan African countries: Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Women of childbearing age completed surveys regarding the use of contraception and about their experience of physical, emotional, and sexual violence inflicted by their partners. Analyses were conducted using logistic regression.


RESULTS
Of the 24311 women who responded to the violence modules, 39.8% reported that they had experienced IPV. Women who had experienced IPV were significantly more likely to report that they had used contraception compared with women who had not experienced IPV (odds ratio 1.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-1.38).


CONCLUSIONS
Intimate partner violence appears to be associated with increased contraception use in the African setting. Among women who have experienced IPV, modern contraception is used more commonly than traditional and folkloric contraceptive methods.
Alio
Amina P
AP
Department of Community and Family Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA. aalio@health.usf.edu
Daley
Ellen M
EM
Nana
Philip N
PN
Duan
Jingyi
J
Salihu
Hamisu M
HM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult