The association between marital violence and reproductive and sexual health outcomes of women: A multi-country study of South Asia

Intimate partner violence and sexual and reproductive health outcomes of women: An Australian population cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To examine sexual and reproductive health outcomes of women who report intimate partner violence (IPV) and compare these outcomes to women who did not report IPV.

METHODS

Utilising the Cohort of women born in 1973-1978 and aged 18-23 years when recruited to participate in the National Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, we conducted an analysis in 2022-2023 of the relationships between exposure to IPV and reproductive and sexual health outcomes for this cohort over a decade (1996 to 2006). Logistic regression analyses were undertaken, mixed effects regression models were applied where feasible.

RESULTS

The current study indicates exposure to IPV significantly increases the likelihood of forced sex, reporting endometriosis, infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy termination, along with greater odds of infertility, termination, and miscarriage increasing with greater exposure to IPV. Women reporting IPV also report a greater likelihood of STIs such as chlamydia, herpes, and genital warts, in addition to a higher incidence of abnormal Pap tests. Women reporting IPV were also more likely to have a larger number of births, with births occurring earlier than those who did not report IPV.

CONCLUSION

Addressing the global issue of IPV, healthcare organisations must offer robust support, including clear guidelines and protocols for managing IPV and the associated health risks among women. This should extend to providing access to resources and referral systems among those identified as experiencing IPV. Interdisciplinary collaboration remains essential to create a holistic approach to managing IPV and the associated health consequences to promote positive sexual and reproductive health outcomes for women.

Socio-sexual norms and young people's sexual health in urban Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan: A qualitative scoping review

In South Asia, young people face myriad challenges and opportunities regarding their sexual lives relating to varied experiences of norms and restrictions; gender norms and socio-sexual taboos limit communication around sexual health which in turn can affect sexual health outcomes. In this article we focus on norms affecting young people's sexual health experiences in urban settings in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. We conducted a scoping review of peer reviewed empirical studies based on qualitative data pertaining to young people's experiences of sexuality and sexual health in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. We searched four electronic databases for articles published (2010-2022), using terms relating to sexual health, young people, and South Asia. Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria with sample size ranging from 9 to 180. The authors followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines for the design and analysis of this study. We synthesised the included articles using thematic analysis. The studies covered topics such as sexual health services and contraceptive use; sexuality education and communication; and gender and sexual violence. Recurring findings included: parental and societal expectations around premarital 'sexual purity' through abstinence; limited communication around sexuality between young people and parents/adults; gender norms limiting young women's sexual and reproductive decision making; and an absence of research on experiences of sexual and gender minorities. We identified common themes as well as prominent gaps which must be addressed if we are to capture diverse experiences and build a better evidence base to improve sexual health services for young people in the region. The body of research fails to include experiences of young people with diverse gender, sexual orientation, and sex characteristics.