Power over parity: intimate partner violence and issues of fertility control

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between intimate partner violence (IPV), abortion, parity, and contraception use. STUDY DESIGN: We recruited 1463 women for this written questionnaire study of IPV. Patient demographics, contraceptive history, and reproductive history were obtained in the waiting room from patients presenting for gynecologic care. RESULTS: Seventy percent of those eligible participated. Twenty-one percent reported a history of IPV. Partner unwillingness to use birth control, partner desirous of conception, partner creating difficulty for subject's use of birth control, and subjects expressing inability to afford contraception were all positively associated with report of IPV. Each additional pregnancy was associated with 10% greater odds of IPV (95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.17). CONCLUSION: Contraception is more difficult to navigate for women experiencing IPV. Providers should consider prescribing contraceptive methods for IPV victims that are not partner dependent.