Reproductive coercion and intimate partner violence among rural women in Côte d'Ivoire: a cross-sectional study

A growing body of U.S.-based research demonstrates that reproductive coercion is an important consideration regarding the negative health impacts of intimate partner violence (IPV). However, less work on IPV and reproductive coercion has been done in West African settings. Cross-sectional data of 981 women who participated in the baseline survey of a randomized-controlled trial in rural, Côte d’Ivoire in October 2010 were analyzed for specific reports of reproductive coercion. Half (49.8%) of all women reported lifetime physical or sexual IPV, and nearly 1 in 5 (18.6%) reported experiencing reproductive coercion. In the final adjusted analyses, lifetime IPV was associated with a 3.7 increase in odds of reporting reproductive coercion (95% CI: 2.4 – 5.8) compared to women who did not report such victimization. Study findings underscore the importance of reducing IPV in order to improve reproductive health among women in rural Côte d’Ivoire. Keywords: Reproductive control, Ivory Coast, reproductive decision-making, contraception, violence against womenUn nombre croissant de recherches aux États-Unis démontre que la coercition en matière de reproduction est un facteur important en ce qui concerne les impacts négatifs sur la santé de la violence du partenaire intime (VPI). Cependant, moins de travail sur le VPI et de coercition de la reproduction a été fait dans les paramètres Afrique de l'Ouest. Les données transversales de 981 femmes qui ont participé à l'enquête de base d'un essai randomisé contrôlé dans les régions rurales, la Côte d'Ivoire en Octobre 2010 ont été analysés pour les rapports spécifiques de contrainte en matière de reproduction. La moitié (49, 8%) de toutes les femmes vivant rapporté VPI physique ou sexuelle, et près de 1 sur 5 (18, 6%) ont déclaré avoir subi la contrainte de reproduction. Dans les analyses ajustées finales, la durée de vie VPI a été associée à une augmentation de 3,7 dans les cotes de la coercition rapports de reproduction (IC à 95%: 2.4 à 5.8) comparativement aux femmes qui ne ont pas déclaré cette victimisation. Résultats de l'étude soulignent l'importance de réduire VPI afin d'améliorer la santé de la reproduction chez les femmes en milieu rural en Côte d'Ivoire. Mots-clés: contrôle de la reproduction, la Côte d'Ivoire, la prise de décision en matière de reproduction, la contraception, la violence contre les femme

Bride Price and Sexual Risk Taking in Uganda

This study assessed the relationship of bride price to sexual risk taking based on a large, populationbased survey. Data were collected on bride prices for 592 married women in 12 districts in Uganda in 2001. Controlling for covariates, we found that having had a bride price significantly lowered the wife’s odds of sexual intercourse with a partner other than the spouse (OR= 0.222; 95% CI= 0.067, 0.737). Controlling for covariates, bride price increased the husband’s odds of non-spousal sexual intercourse (OR=1.489; 95% CI= 0.746, 2.972), although this finding is not statistically significant. Bride price payment is statistically significantly associated with lower rates of non-spousal sexualcontact in women, but is not statistically significantly associated with higher rates in men (Afr J Reprod Health 2009; 13[1]:147-158)

Associations between exposure to intimate partner violence, armed conflict, and probable PTSD among women in rural Côte d'Ivoire.

BACKGROUND: Objectives were to assess associations between intimate partner violence (IPV), violence during armed conflict (i.e. crisis violence), and probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS: Using a sample of 950 women in rural Côte d'Ivoire, logistic generalized estimating equations assessed associations between IPV and crisis violence exposures with past-week probable PTSD. RESULTS: Over one in 5 (23.4%) women reported past-year IPV, and over one in 4 women (26.5%) reported experiencing IPV prior to the past year (i.e. remote IPV). Crisis violence was experienced by 72.6% of women. In adjusted models including demographics, crisis violence (overall and specific forms), and IPV (remote and past-year), women who reported past-year IPV had 3.1 times the odds of reporting probable past-week PTSD (95%CI: 1.8-5.3) and those who reported remote IPV had 1.6 times the odds (95%CI: 0.9-2.7). Violent exposures during the crisis were not significantly associated with probable PTSD (any crisis violence: aOR: 1.04 (0.7-1.5); displacement: aOR: 0.9 (95%CI: 0.5-1.7); family victimization during crisis: aOR: 1.1 (95%CI: 0.8-1.7); personal victimization during crisis: aOR: 1.7 (95%CI: 0.7-3.7)). CONCLUSION: Past-year IPV was more strongly associated with past-week probable PTSD than remote IPV and violence directly related to the crisis. IPV must be considered within humanitarian mental health and psychosocial programming