Background: In this article, we examine the association between unintended pregnancy and individual and community level indicators of violence in a population of both women and men in the criminal justice system.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 290 women and 306 men in 3 correctional facilities in Kansas City and used logistic regression models to assess relationships between key independent variables and unintended pregnancy.
Findings: In gender-specific logistic regression models, women with a history of intimate partner violence were 2.02 times more likely (CI 1.15, 3.56), and those with a history of sexual abuse before age 16 were 1.23 times more likely (CI 1.02-1.49) to have experienced unintended pregnancy. Men or their family members who were victimized by neighborhood violence were 1.82 times more likely to have experienced unintended pregnancy (CI 1.01, 3.28).
Discussion: These findings suggest the need for gender and community-specific interventions that address the relationship between violence and unintended pregnancy.