Global

As a type of violence in intimate relationships, reproductive coercion encompasses a range of behaviours that exert external control over reproductive autonomy, from threats to coerce pregnancy to sabotaging contraception and controlling outcomes of a pregnancy, such as coerced abortion or forced continuation of a pregnancy. At a time when reproductive rights and bodily autonomy are under attack in many countries, and when adolescents (especially transgender and gender-diverse youth) are experiencing large barriers to health care, elucidating core characteristics of reproductive coercion, identifying harm reduction strategies, and preventing relationship abuse and reproductive coercion are of paramount importance.