Reproductive coercion sometimes works: evaluating whether young African-American women who experience reproductive coercion or birth control sabotage are more likely to become pregnant

Abstract

Men engaging in reproductive coercion may coerce, force, or deceive female partners into pregnancy. This study evaluates whether the 3-month incidence of pregnancy is higher among women reporting reproductive coercion than similar women reporting no reproductive coercion. We tested this hypothesis in longitudinal data from a sample of African-American women ages 18–24 recruited from community settings in Atlanta, Georgia, US, in 2012–2014 (n = 560). Participants were surveyed at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months. To reduce selection bias, we used full matching on 22 baseline variables related to demographics, economic power, risky alcohol use, and gender-based power inequality. We used logistic regression in the matched sample with outcome pregnancy 3 months later, controlling for baseline fertility intentions (n = 482, n = 458, n = 452 at respectively 3, 6, 9 months). At 3 months, 15% of women reported reproductive coercion. At 6 months, 11.3% of women reporting coercion were pregnant vs. 4.6% of matched women reporting no coercion ( p = 0.06). Women reporting coercion had 3 times the odds of pregnancy as matched women reporting no coercion (AOR 2.95, 95% CI (1.16, 6.98), p = 0.02). Among women pregnant after coercion, only 15% wanted to be pregnant then or sooner. Women reporting reproductive coercion are at greater risk of unwanted or mistimed pregnancies, and the semen exposure that caused these pregnancies could also transmit STI/HIV. Clinicians should screen patients for reproductive coercion; consider using semen exposure biomarkers such as PSA or Yc-PCR to identify condom sabotage or stealthing; and refer women experiencing reproductive coercion to supportive services. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s10742-020-00213-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Alcohol intoxication, condom use rationale, and men’s coercive condom use resistance: The role of past unintended partner pregnancy.

“…One potential predictor of men’s coercive CUR strategies is their history of unintended partner pregnancy—which is a common outcome for condomless sex in the United States (Trussell, 2007), a potential salient consequence of coercive CUR strategies (Czechowski et al, 2019; Davis, 2019; Rosenbaum & DiClemente, 2020; Tarzia et al, 2020), and of sexual violence more broadly (Basile et al, 2022; Gomez, 2011; Miller & Silverman, 2010). Men’s history of unintended partner pregnancy may influence their use of coercive CUR strategies.…”

Reproductive Coercion Among College Students: An Extension and Test of Routine Activity Theory

“…Survivors bear a risk of psychological trauma and fearfulness of health outcomes, such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs; Park et al, 2016; Rosenfeld et al, 2018). Furthermore, reproductive coercion is associated with an increased risk of STIs (Rosenbaum & DiClemente, 2020; Willie et al, 2021). Willie et al (2021) found that contraceptive sabotage, a form of reproductive coercion, was associated with greater odds of having a STI, and Kazmerski et al (2015) noted that reproductive coercion was associated with repeated STI testing.…”

“…In particular, unwanted pregnancy is a potential outcome of reproductive coercion (Miller et al, 2010, 2014; Sutherland et al, 2015). For instance, Rosenbaum and DiClemente's (2020) recent analysis of young, African American women who were identified as being at disproportionate risk of HIV found that pregnancy was a common outcome of reproductive coercion, occurring among 11.3% of women sampled. This finding is particularly salient given recent shifts in policy concerning abortion access in the United States following the United States Supreme Court overturn of Roe v. Wade , and the notion that unintended pregnancies as a result of reproductive coercion can have potentially lifelong implications (Spector-Brigady & Mello, 2022).…”

La paradoxalité de la reconnaissance de l’expérience de coercition reproductive : une analyse qualitative

“…La CR génère également des e ets importants sur la santé sexuelle, reproductive et mentale des femmes qui en font l'expérience. En e et, la CR est associée à de la violence verbale [11]; à des grossesses non désirées ou non plani ées [ 4,9,17]; à des infections transmises sexuellement et par le sang [15,17]; à une hausse de symptômes dépressifs ou post-traumatiques [10,16,18]; et à une probabilité accrue de polyvictimisation. [19] En résumé, le CR se situe donc à l'intersection de deux préoccupations de santé publique : la violence faite aux femmes ainsi que l'autonomie et la santé reproductive.…”