Intimate Partner Violence and Unintended Pregnancy in India

Praveen Kumar Pathak, Delhi School of Economics
Niharika Tripathi, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

Intimate partner violence (IPV), a common form of violence against women perpetrated by husband or intimate male partner, often reported in developing countries. However, there is no clear understanding about association between IPV and unintended pregnancy in the context of India. The present study examines the relationship between IPV and unintended pregnancy in India and its states that starkly vary in socioeconomic and demographic parameters. The study uses data from third round of National Family and Health Survey conducted during 2005-2006. Using multinomial logistic regression, the study compares outcomes of current/last pregnancy (intended, mistimed and unwanted) by exposure to various types of IPV. Women who ever experienced IPV showed consistently higher risks of unintended pregnancy. After adjusting for socio-demographic covariates and lifetime contraceptive use, the study found that women with a history of intimate partner violence reported higher risks of their current/last pregnancy ending in mistimed or unwanted live birth.