Associations between intimate partner violence and married women’s condom and other contraceptive use in rural India

Background: The existing literature on the intersection between women's reports of spousal intimate partner violence (IPV) and contraceptive use in South Asia is conflicted. Results vary based on method of contraception use and form of violence (physical or sexual), and few examine the relationship between IPV and various methods of modern spacing contraceptive (MSC) use. This study examines associations between IPV and MSC use among a sample of married, not-currently pregnant couples in rural Maharashtra, India (n=861). Methods: Multinomial logistic regression models assessed wives' physical and sexual IPV victimisation (for the past 6-months) in relation to the wives' past 3-month MSC use (categorised as condom use, other MSCs [oral pills, Intrauterine device (IUD)] and no MSCs). Results: In terms of violence, 9% (n=78) and 4% (n=34) of wives reported recent physical and sexual IPV victimisation, respectively. The majority (72%; n=621) did not use any MSC method in the past 3 months; 14% (n=119) reported recent condom use, and the same proportion reported other MSC use. Recent physical IPV was associated with increased likelihood of recent condom use (AOR: 2.46, 95% CI: 1.20, 5.04), and recent sexual IPV was associated with increased likelihood of recent use of other MSC (AOR: 3.27, 95% CI: 1.24, 8.56). Conclusions: These findings reinforce the need for integration of counselling around IPV prevention and intervention programming into existing family planning services targeting married couples in rural Maharashtra, India.