Reproductive Coercion and Contraceptive Use in Ethiopia

Context: While intimate partner violence (IPV) is recognized as a major contributor to poor reproductive health outcomes, the relationship between IPV and contraceptive use is unclear. Reproductive coercion (RC), a mechanism by which power is maintained over a partner through enforced reproductive behaviours, could be the missing link in understanding this relationship. However, there is limited understanding of RC and contraceptive use in sub-Saharan Africa. Data Source and Methods: We use large-scale population based survey data from Ethiopia and examine the relationship between reproductive coercion and contraceptive use and estimate the predictors of reproductive coercion using multivariate logistic regression models. Findings: Our findings suggest a strong negative association between RC and contraceptive use after adjusting for IPV and other factors, while emotional IPV was strongly predictive of RC. Conclusion: RC can be critical for understanding how controlling behaviours and violence manifest in the reproductive arena and impact family planning decision-making.