Invisible Indicators: The Impact of Domestic Violence on Contraceptive Use among Women in a Rural Village in Maharashtra State, India

Lyndsey Wilson-Williams, Emory University

This study examines how domestic violence affects women’s reproductive health status and contraceptive use in a rural village in Maharashtra, India. Data from married women of reproductive age were collected through focus groups and key informant interviews. Themes explored included; community perceptions and tolerance of violence, women’s autonomy, gender roles, the fertility decision-making process, and perceptions of the determinants of contraceptive use. A focus of this research is the impact of the experiencing of and perceptions of the threat of domestic violence on contraceptive use. Preliminary results demonstrate that the perception of domestic violence at both the community and individual level strongly influence fertility decisions, and that familial pressure is also linked to a woman’s ability to contracept.