TITLE:  Contraceptive Use Among Abused African Caribbean and African American Women 
 
AUTHOR: DR Bertrand, PhD, RNC-MNN, UVI Faculty, School of Nursing 
 
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between both contraceptive use 
and method selection among Black women in rural and urban populations with a history of 
intimate partner violence (IPV). Method: This was a secondary data analysis of a case/control 
study on partner abuse of 862 women aged 18-55 who reported having an intimate partner during 
the past two years. The chi-square test was used for data analysis. Results: Twenty-seven percent 
(27%) of the sample reported no contraceptive use. Women that were not abused reported 
contraceptive use at a slightly higher rate than abused women (28 % vs 25%, p = .07). Abused 
women were more likely to use male condoms (44%, p=.044) and withdrawal (18%, p<0.001) as 
forms of contraception than non-abused women. Urban women were more likely to use Depo-
Provera (19%, p<0.001) and sterilization (15%, p<0.001), whereas, rural women were more 
likely to use birth control pills (22%, p<0.001) and withdrawal (19%, p<0.001). There were no 
significant differences between urban and rural women on condom use. Conclusion: 
Contraceptive method selection and use among abused Black women should be evaluated not 
only for effectiveness, but long-acting properties, which may be warranted in abusive 
relationships 
Keywords: Intimate partner violence, Contraceptive use