Understanding the linkages of domestic violence and reproductive health among adolescent girls in India

Sudeshna Ghosh, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Sanjay K. Mohanty, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

In India, about two fifth of girls are marrying below legal age at marriage, leading to early child bearing, high maternal morbidity and higher pregnancy complications. In addition, these women shoulder the responsibilities in a new familial set-up for which they are not equipped. Moreover, they are subordinate in the set-up, having less participation in decision-making process, experience violence in the family. In this context, this paper attempts to understand the association of domestic violence and reproductive health among married adolescent girls in Indian regions. The data of NFHS II is used for the analysis. It is found that two in every five adolescent girls have reproductive health problems and about one in ten experience domestic violence. It is further found that adolescent girls who are experiencing domestic violence are more likely to have reproductive health problems as compared to those not experiencing violence. This differential is statistically significant.