Study: Reproductive coercion prevalent

PROVIDENCE – Women experiencing reproductive coercion – male behavior to control contraception and pregnancy outcomes – has led a Women & Infants Hospital research team to recommend that health care providers address the subject with their patients.
The team published “Reproductive coercion and co-occurring intimate-partner violence in obstetrics and gynecology patients” in a recent issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
“Reproductive coercion, co-occurring with intimate-partner violence, is prevalent among women seeking general obstetrics and gynecology care,” said Dr. Rebecca Allen of Women & Infants in a statement. Allen and Dr. Amy Gottlieb, of the hospital’s Women’s Primary Care Center, participated in the study of 641 women ages 18 to 44, along with Chris Raker, a statistician in the hospital’s division of research.
In addition, reproductive coercion has been associated with intimate partner violence, including threats, physical injury, or sexual abuse. This study is the first to examine both measurements – reproductive coercion and intimate-partner violence – in the same relationship. •

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