TY - JOUR
T1 - Experiences of sexual coercion among adolescent women
T2 - Qualitative findings from Rakai District, Uganda
AU - Wagman, Jennifer
AU - Baumgartner, Joy Noel
AU - Geary, Cindy Waszak
AU - Nakyanjo, Neema
AU - Ddaaki, William George
AU - Serwadda, David
AU - Gray, Ron
AU - Nalugoda, Fred Kakaire
AU - Wawer, Maria J.
PY - 2009/12
Y1 - 2009/12
N2 - Limited data from low-income countries are available on the continuum of coercive experiences, the contexts in which they occur, and how adolescent women perceive and respond to coercion. This article presents results from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with pregnant and never pregnant sexually active female adolescents, aged 15 to 17, residing in Rakai District, Uganda, to examine sexual coercion, its context, and the links between coercion and adolescent reproductive health outcomes, including early sexual debut and pregnancy. Informants described multiple forms of sexual coercion, including coerced or forced intercourse, unwanted sexual touching, verbal harassment, and transactional sex. Sexual coercion was perceived to be a normal part of intimate relationships; in particular, informants felt that a woman's lack of decision-making authority, including choices on sexual encounters, was implicit to marriage. This information may help violence prevention programs develop a range of strategies for addressing sexual coercion among adolescents.
AB - Limited data from low-income countries are available on the continuum of coercive experiences, the contexts in which they occur, and how adolescent women perceive and respond to coercion. This article presents results from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with pregnant and never pregnant sexually active female adolescents, aged 15 to 17, residing in Rakai District, Uganda, to examine sexual coercion, its context, and the links between coercion and adolescent reproductive health outcomes, including early sexual debut and pregnancy. Informants described multiple forms of sexual coercion, including coerced or forced intercourse, unwanted sexual touching, verbal harassment, and transactional sex. Sexual coercion was perceived to be a normal part of intimate relationships; in particular, informants felt that a woman's lack of decision-making authority, including choices on sexual encounters, was implicit to marriage. This information may help violence prevention programs develop a range of strategies for addressing sexual coercion among adolescents.
KW - Adolescent pregnancy
KW - Adolescents
KW - Early sexual debut
KW - Sexual coercion
KW - Uganda
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U2 - 10.1177/0886260508327707
DO - 10.1177/0886260508327707
M3 - Article
C2 - 19109534
AN - SCOPUS:70350647513
SN - 0886-2605
VL - 24
SP - 2073
EP - 2095
JO - Journal of Interpersonal Violence
JF - Journal of Interpersonal Violence
IS - 12
ER -