College Women’s Experiences of Male Partner Contraceptive Interference: Associations With Intimate Partner Violence and Contraceptive Outcomes

Many young adult women experience interpersonal barriers to protecting their sexual health. The focus of the current study was on contraceptive interference (CI), defined as partner behaviors that prevent effective contraception use before or during sex. We investigated whether CI tends to co-occur with intimate partner violence (IPV) and whether past CI is negatively associated with women’s contraceptive outcomes. We also investigated perceived reasons for partner CI. Data were collected from sexually active female undergraduates (N = 146) who had ended a (hetero)sexual relationship lasting at least 1 month. Participants provided self-report data on past relationships with male “target” partners who either did or did not enact CI, IPV within the same relationship, contraceptive use at last sex (with most recent partner), and condom negotiation efficacy (on day of study). About 25% of the sample reported past CI. Results revealed positive associations between target partner CI and psychological abuse, sev...