• Yasamin Kusunoki, Jennifer S Barber, Heather H Gatny, and Robert Melendez.
• 1 School of Nursing, Department of Systems, Populations and Leadership, and Institute for Social Research Population Studies Center and Survey Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
• J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2018 Aug 1; 27 (8): 101610251016-1025.

BackgroundUnderstanding the link between physical intimate partner violence (IPV) and contraception is key to preventing unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.Materials And MethodsData from the Relationship Dynamics and Social Life study, a longitudinal study of a racially and socioeconomically diverse population-representative random sample of 18- to 19-year-old women residing in a Michigan county in 2008-2009 and followed weekly through 2011-2012, were used. Logistic regression models of contraceptive behaviors on temporally specific measures of physical violence victimization: recent, history in the current relationship, and history in prior relationships were conducted among 711 women.ResultsWomen who experienced physical IPV in their current relationship had lower odds of using contraception (odds ratio [OR], 0.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28, 0.76 for recent; OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.33, 0.83 for past). Condom use was lower among women who experienced past physical IPV in their current relationship (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.26, 0.73), while withdrawal use was higher (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.24, 3.19). Women who experienced physical IPV used condoms less consistently (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.13, 0.85 for recent; OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.14, 0.52 for prior relationships).ConclusionsPhysical IPV victimization is a dynamic and strong predictor of contraceptive use, method type, and consistency of condom use.

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