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Abstract
The prevalence of sexual violence in the United States is on the rise. Sexual violence can result in a variety of physical, behavioral, and mental health issues as well as concerns on reproductive and fertility control, including unintended pregnancy. Unintended pregnancy can result in a number of adverse health outcomes for women, infants, and children. This study reports on a secondary data analysis of 9,776 women aged 18-45 years who participated in the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) from 2006-2010 to determine the association between sexual violence and future pregnancy intention. The women self-reported experience of non-voluntary sexual intercourse via Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview (ACASI) to ensure privacy and confidentiality. Information on future pregnancy intention was assessed through Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI). Logistic regression was used to examine the association between the experience of non-voluntary sexual intercourse and the women’s future pregnancy intention. The study found that 21.57% of women reported to have experienced non-voluntary sexual intercourse, and 58.02% of women indicated that they did not want to have a baby in the future. After adjustment for marital status, women who experienced sexual violence had increased odds of not wanting to be pregnant in the future as compared to women who had never experienced such abuse, and the result was statistically significant (AOR = 1.32; 95% CI: 1.14-1.52). This study provided an important contribution to develop policies and programs that help survivors to explore their reproductive desires and plans. Additional studies determining the psychosocial mechanism of the association and using more explicit categorization of the type of coercions exerted during the sexual abuse are needed to further confirm these findings.