Incidence and Correlates of Husband-Perpetrated Rape Among Currently Married Women in Nigeria

Husband-perpetrated rape (HPR), which implies every form of unwilling sex with a husband as a result of force, threat or drug, is rarely discussed or reported, and it has been quite understudied in Nigeria. Hence, this study answers two questions: What is the incidence of HPR, and what are the correlates among currently married women in Nigeria? Descriptive and multi-level logistic regression tools are used to analyze data from a sub-sample of 1,583 currently married women (16 years and above) surveyed in a larger survey conducted in mid-2022. The results suggest that the national incidence rate of HPR among currently married women in Nigeria is 20%. Although any married woman could experience HPR anywhere, the main correlates that are likely to elevate the risk in Nigeria are childhood sexual abuse experience (<i>OR</i> = 3.9, <i>p</i> < .001, 95% CI [2.9, 5.2]), membership in Yoruba ethnic group (<i>OR</i> = 2.7, <i>p</i> < .001, [1.7, 4.3]), and having husbands who smoke (<i>OR</i> = 2.4, <i>p</i> < .001, [1.7, 3.4]). Other minor risk factors are minority ethnic groups membership (<i>OR</i> = 2.1, <i>p</i> < .01, [1.4, 3.3]), husband's substance use (<i>OR</i> = 1.7, <i>p</i> < .001, [1.3, 2.2]), childhood family situation wherein parents separated/divorced (<i>OR</i> = 1.8, <i>p</i> < .01, [1.3, 2.6]) and membership of the Igbo ethnic group (<i>OR</i> = 1.7, <i>p</i> < .05, [1.1, 2.8]). Therefore, to reduce HPR experience in Nigeria, appropriate organs should design and implement an invigorated child protection law targeting childhood sexual abuse reduction. An aggressive campaign against smoking and substance consumption among married men is also imperative. Also, a sustained campaign against HPR using multiple media all over Nigeria is crucial.