Reproductive coercion in college health clinic patients: Risk factors, care seeking and perpetration.
Karen Trister Grace, Michele R Decker, Charvonne N Holliday and 2 others
PMID 35362185WHAT IT FOUND
Reproductive coercion was reported by 3.1% of college patients.
Those experiencing it were more likely to seek care for both counselling and physical health, and for STI testing, rather than contraception alone. Clinicians should screen for coercion when students present with multiple concurrent health and mental health needs.
Key findings
013.1% of participants assigned female at birth experienced reproductive coercion in the prior 4 months.
02Patients experiencing reproductive coercion were significantly more likely to visit the health centre for both counselling and healthcare, and to seek STI testing or treatment.
03There was no significant difference in clinic visits for birth control, emergency contraception, or pregnancy testing based on reproductive coercion experience.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study relied on self-report of sensitive topics, though surveys were administered privately. The sample was drawn from specific schools in Pennsylvania and West Virginia and may not represent all college students nationally. Racial/ethnic groups, gender minorities, and sexual minorities were underrepresented. The number of AMAB participants reporting RC perpetration was small (2.3%), limiting the power of analyses and preventing adjusted models. AMAB participants may have underreported perpetration behaviours due to social desirability bias. The cross-sectional baseline nature of the data cannot establish causality between RC and care-seeking behaviours.
Declared interests
Not reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a lack of specific contraception requests indicates an absence of reproductive coercion. This study found no significant difference in clinic visits for birth control or emergency contraception between those who experienced coercion and those who did not. Coercion was instead associated with seeking care for both counselling and physical health, and for STI testing.