title: Perceived Fertility Control and Pregnancy Outcomes Among Abused Women.
abstract: To describe the degree of perceived fertility control and associated likelihood of unintended pregnancy and poor pregnancy outcomes among women who report intimate partner violence.
  
  
  
  Cross-sectional cohort study design.
  
  
  
  Five domestic violence shelters and one district attorney's office in a large urban metropolis in the United States.
  
  
  
  A total of 282 women who reported intimate partner violence and reached out for the first time to a shelter or district attorney's office for assistance.
  
  
  
  This 7-year prospective longitudinal study began in 2011. Participants in the overarching study are being interviewed every 4 months. During the 32-month interview period, participants responded to a one-time, investigator-developed, fertility control questionnaire in addition to the ongoing repeated measures.
  
  
  
  Almost one third (29%) of the participants reported at least one unintended pregnancy attributed to their abusers' refusal to use birth control, and 14.3% of the participants reported at least one unintended pregnancy as a result of their abusers' refusal to allow them to use birth control. Participants were 28 times more likely to have abuse-induced miscarriages if their pregnancies resulted because their abusers did not use birth control (OR = 28.70, p < .05). Finally, participants were 8 times more likely to report premature births if they were abused because of their use of birth control (OR = 8.340, p < .05).
  
  
  
  Women in abusive relationships reported compromised fertility control associated with abuse and increased risk for unintended pregnancy as well as the adverse pregnancy outcomes of premature birth and miscarriage.
authors.forename: Fuqin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McFarlane
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Maddoux
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cesario
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gilroy
authors.forename: Angeles
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nava
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018585:Battered Women / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011275:Pregnancy, Unwanted; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: fertility control; intimate partner violence; miscarriage; premature birth; unintended pregnancy