Correlates of Reproductive Coercion among College Women in Abusive Relationships

Abstract

IntroductionReproductive coercion (RC) describes coercive and controlling behaviors that interfere with a woman's autonomous reproductive health decision‐making. College aged (18‐24 years) women are known to experience the highest prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence, and RC may be an important facet of such violence exposure, with significant impact on reproductive health and well‐being. The purpose of this study was to examine correlates of RC among a sample of college women in abusive relationships.MethodsThis study examines baseline data from a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of an interactive safety decision aid app (myPlan) designed to assist IPV survivors. Three hundred and fifty‐four women‐identified college students aged 18 to 24 years in Oregon or Maryland who reported a recent history of IPV were enrolled. Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, and frequencies) were used to describe the characteristics of the sample. Chi square and t‐tests were used to examine differences between those who had and had not experienced RC on risk factors and covariates. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine the relationship between RC and depression.ResultsOne‐fourth (24.3%) of the sample reported RC. Associated factors included races other than white (P = .019), relationship instability (P = .022), missing class due to relationship problems (P = .001), IPV severity (P<.001), technology abuse (P<.001), traumatic brain injury‐associated events (P<.001), and depression (P = 0.024).DiscussionRC may be an indicator that a young woman is experiencing more severe violence and is at risk for severe sequelae such as traumatic brain injury. RC remained a significant predictor of depression after adjusting for severity of IPV, which indicates that RC is independently associated with depression. This finding has important implications for midwives working with college‐aged women, regarding the need for depression screening and referral to mental health services concurrent with providing services related to IPV and RC. A larger proportion of women who experienced RC sought help from a health care provider for contraception, which indicates an important opportunity for midwives to intervene when women are experiencing RC.