The Relationship between Sexual Violence and Reproductive Health among Female Youth in Colombia

Anu Manchikanti, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

This analysis explores the relationship between sexual violence and reproductive health among a nationally-representative sample of 9,164 Colombian female youth (ages 13-24) in 2005. Sexual violence was experienced by 13% of female youth in Colombia. The association of sexual violence to unintended pregnancy, recent sexually transmitted infection diagnosis, condom use at last sex, and current use of a modern family planning method is examined using Pearson’s chi-squared tests and logistic regression models. Women who experienced sexual violence are significantly more likely to have experienced an unintended pregnancy and recent STI diagnosis or symptoms controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Though sexual violence is significantly linked to decreased likelihood of current modern contraceptive use and condom use at last sex in bivariate models, the relationship does not persist in multivariate models. This analysis indicates that sexual violence is pervasive in Colombia and linked to unfavorable reproductive health outcomes.