Citation

Coker AL. Trauma Violence Abuse 2007; 8(2): 149-177.

Affiliation

Division of Epidemiology and Disease Control, School of Public Health University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1524838007301162

PMID

17545572

Abstract

Forty years of published research (1966-2006) addressing physical intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual health was reviewed (51 manuscripts) and synthesized to determine (a) those sexual health indicators for which sufficient evidence is available to suggest a causal association and (b) gaps in the literature for which additional careful research is needed to establish causality and explain mechanisms for these associations. Sexual health was defined as a continuum of indicators of gynecology and reproductive health. IPV was consistently associated with sexual risk taking, inconsistent condom use, or partner nonmonogamy (23 of 27 studies), having an unplanned pregnancy or induced abortion (13 of 16 studies), having a sexually transmitted infection (17 of 24 studies), and sexual dysfunction (17 of 18 studies). A conceptual model was presented to guide further needed research addressing direct and indirect mechanisms by which physical, sexual, and psychological IPV affects sexual health.

Language: en