INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AND UNINTENDED PREGNANCY AMONG ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT MARRIED WOMEN IN SOUTH ASIA

Abstract

SummaryThis study examined the relationship between Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and unintended pregnancy among young women in South Asia using Demographic and Health Survey data from India (2005–2006), Bangladesh (2007) and Nepal (2011). The respondents were adolescent and young adult married women aged 15–24 years who had at least one childbirth in the five years preceding the survey. Bivariate and stepwise multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between IPV and unintended pregnancy. Thirty-eight per cent of the respondents in India, 52% in Bangladesh and 28% in Nepal reported having experienced physical or sexual IPV. Those who reported physical or sexual IPV had higher odds of unintended pregnancy (1.36 in India and 1.99 in Bangladesh). The findings indicate that IPV is a risk factor for unintended pregnancy among adolescent and young adult married women. Along with violence prevention programmes, a more responsive and youth-friendly health system needs to be in place to provide health care services to young women in these countries.