Married women's experiences of intimate partner violence and utilization of antenatal health care in Togo.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and antenatal care use (ANC) in the Togolese context. We explore the associations between three indicators of ANC utilization (i.e., timing and number of ANC visits, and place of delivery) and three types of IPV (i.e., physical, emotional, and sexual violence) among married women.

METHODS

Drawing data from the 2013-14 Togo Demographic and Health Survey, we employ a series of logistic regression analyses to explore the association between women's ANC use and experience of IPV.

RESULTS

At the bivariate level, women who have experienced any form of IPV were less likely to meet the requirement for all the indicators of ANC utilization, except that the relationship between the timing of the first ANC visit and sexual violence was not statistically significant. Some of these associations were attenuated when we controlled for socioeconomic variables such as education and household wealth.

CONCLUSION

Based on these findings, we have several policy recommendations. For example, there is a need for interventions targeted towards poorer and less educated women. There is also a need to address patriarchal gender norms with community-level education that targets both wives and husbands.