Intimate partner violence, abortion, and unintended pregnancy: Results from the WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence

Objective: To explore how intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with unintended pregnancy and abortion in primarily low- and middle-income countries. Methods: Population data are presented from 17 518 ever-partnered women participating in the WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence in 15 sites in 10 countries. Using multiple logistic regression analyses, associations between physical and/or sexual partner violence and abortion and unintended pregnancy were explored. Results: Women with a history of IPV had significantly higher odds of unintended pregnancy in 8 of 14 sites and of abortion in 12 of 15 sites. Pooled estimates showed increased odds of unintended pregnancy (adjusted OR 1.69; 95% Cl, 1.53-1.86) and abortion (adjusted OR 2.68; 95% Cl, 2.34-3.06), after adjusting for confounding factors. Reducing IPV by 50% could potentially reduce unintended pregnancy by 2%-18% and abortion by 4.5%-40%, according to population-attributable risk estimates. Conclusion: IPV is a consistent and strong risk factor for unintended pregnancy and abortion across a variety of settings. Unintended pregnancy terminated through unsafe abortion can result in death or serious complications. Therefore, reducing IPV can significantly reduce risks to maternal and reproductive health. (C) 2012 World Health Organization. Published by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. All rights reserved.