"We're pregnant, let's not fight": Intimate partner violence among adolescents and young adults transitioning to parenthood

Intimate partner violence (IPV) among young couples is a serious public health concern.  IPV may increase during pregnancy and has been associated with several poor outcomes, including miscarriage, depression, and rapid repeat pregnancy. Little is known about IPV among adolescents transitioning to parenthood.  We thus explored patterns and identified predictors of physical and sexual IPV trajectories among this vulnerable population. Data were derived from a cohort of pregnant adolescent females (ages 14-21) and their male partners who were followed through 1 year postpartum (N=296 couples).  Almost 20% of female and male participants experienced physical or sexual violence from their partner during pregnancy, 12% at 6 months postpartum, and 11% at one year postpartum.  Males were more likely to experience partner violence during pregnancy than females, but no differences occurred at postpartum. Approximately 68% of participants experienced no violence over time, 12% experienced a decrease in violence from pregnancy to postpartum, 12% experienced an increase in violence, and 8% experienced constant violence during pregnancy and postpartum. Dyadic analyses suggest that alcohol use and mutual violence in pregnancy are associated with greater odds of constant or increasing violence compared with decreasing or no violence. Greater relationship equity and familial relationship approval in pregnancy were associated with lower odds of increasing or constant violence. Practitioners who care for adolescents in pregnancy may want to consider using these characteristics to screen for violence within a relationship. Furthermore, pregnant adolescents may need improved coping mechanisms and opportunities to discuss fostering healthy relationships with their partners.