Sexual and reproductive health in family planning in armed conflict and violence

This Chapter presents the current state of knowledge on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes and family planning in contexts of violence and armed conflict. Following a brief overview of the main data sources currently available to study the consequences of armed conflict and violence on SRH outcomes, the first section adopts a life-course approach to illustrate how armed conflict may influence SRH across three key life-course stages: adolescence and early adulthood, adulthood (including motherhood), and late adulthood. The second section of the Chapter focuses on the consequences of armed conflict and violence on the demand for and supply of family planning and abortion care. The Chapter primarily examines these relationships by focusing on women and girls, given their disproportionate exposure to SRH challenges in conflict settings and the scarcer evidence base, particularly in quantitative research, on other groups. The Chapter concludes by discussing methodological and theoretical challenges, identifying gaps in current research, and suggesting future directions for scholarship on SRH outcomes in armed conflict contexts.