Spousal Abuse Against Women and Its Consequences on Reproductive Health: A Study in the Urban Slums in Bangladesh

Objectives Spousal violence is common and results in costly problems both for society and for the reproductive health of women. Despite the recognition that violence may be associated with serious consequences for women's reproductive health, our understanding of the relationship between the two remains limited. In this study, we assessed the association between spousal violence and women's reproductive health. Methods Data from an interviewer-administered questionnaire assessing socioeconomic, demographic, behavioral profiles, and spousal violence-related information was collected from 496 women. Subjects were chosen from eight randomly selected urban slums from four metropolitan cities. Results Spousal violence was significantly higher amongst the group of less educated women who had been in several marriages; indicating that the social and behavioral traits of women…