Domestic Violence and Constrained Contraceptive Choices in Selected Areas of Osun State, Nigeria

Amos O. Oyedokun, University of the Witwatersrand

This paper examines the impact of Domestic Violence in form of wife-beating and marital rape (non-consensual sexual encounter) on use of modern contraceptive methods in Ife-North Local Government area of Osun State, Nigeria. Results showed that domestic violence in form of wife beating and marital rape existed in the study area as 55.6% of the women reported having been threatened with physical harassment by their partners; and 62.0% had experienced physical abuse from their intimate partner. More than half of the respondents reported experiencing non-consensual sexual encounter with their partners. Among the 17.2% who experienced domestic violence during pregnancy, only 13.7% took some steps to protect themselves. The major coping strategy was pacifying their partners in crisis situation. The paper concludes that threat of wife-beating, and not the actual beating, and experience of marital rape contributed to the likelihood of women not using modern contraceptive methods in the study area.