Reproductive coercion as a form of sexual violence and existential trauma

Reproductive coercion (RC) is defined as behaviors that diminish individuals’ ability to make decisions regarding their reproductive health RC increases the risk of sexually transmitted illnesses, anxiety, depression, substance-use, post-traumatic stress disorder, and intimate partner violence. Despite the serious risks, RC remains understudied and is not typically assessed as a form of sexual violence. Although research has demonstrated the relevance of existential concerns to the experiences of reproductive roles and sexual violence, the existential impact of RC has not been empirically studied. The present study includes a sample of 637 young adults across two states. Almost half of participants reported a prior experience of sexual violence (41.8%) and 13.3% reported an experience of RC (prevalence of specific forms are presented) Reproductive coercion was strongly associated with other experiences of sexual violence (95% of those reporting experiences of RC also reported sexual violence). Those who endorsed experiences of RC reported significantly higher scores on the Existential Concerns Questionnaire (t=-2.57, p=.005) than those with no reported history. The study findings support the conceptualization of reproductive coercion as a form of sexual violence and existential trauma.