Re-defining reproductive coercion using a socio-ecological lens: a scoping review

BMC Public Health

Research

Arielle Donnelly¹  Caroline de Moel-Mandel¹  Melissa Graham¹  Megan Bugden¹  Hayley McKenzie²  Greer Lamaro Haintz³ 

[1] Department of Public Health, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, 3086, Bundoora, VIC, Australia;School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, 3125, Burwood, VIC, Australia;School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20, 000, 3220, Geelong, Australia;

关键词: Reproductive coercion;    Scoping review;    Reproductive autonomy;    Definitions;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-023-16281-8

 received in 2023-02-09, accepted in 2023-07-10,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundReproductive coercion is a significant public health issue in Australia which has mainly been conceptualised as a form of violence at the interpersonal level. This limited scope ignores the role of the gendered drivers of violence and fails to encompass a socio-ecological lens which is necessary to consider the multiple interacting layers that create the context in which reproductive coercion occurs. The aim of the scoping review was to explore how the reproductive coercion is defined by international research. Specifically, how is reproductive coercion defined at the social-cultural-systems-structural levels, and are the definitions of reproductive coercion inclusive of the conditions and contexts in which reproductive coercion occurs?MethodsA scoping review was undertaken to explore existing definitions of reproductive coercion. Searches were conducted on Embase, Cochrane Library, Informit Health Collection, and the EBSCOHost platform. Google was also searched for relevant grey literature. Articles were included if they were: theoretical research, reviews, empirical primary research, grey literature or books; published between January 2018 and May 2022; written in English; and focused on females aged 18–50 years. Data from eligible articles were deductively extracted and inductively thematically analysed to identify themes describing how reproductive coercion is defined.ResultsA total of 24 articles were included in the scoping review. Most research defined reproductive coercion at the interpersonal level with only eight articles partially considering and four articles fully considering the socio-cultural-systems-structural level. Thematic analysis identified four main themes in reproductive coercion definitions: Individual external exertion of control over a woman’s reproductive autonomy; Systems and structures; Social and cultural determinants; and Freedom from external forces to achieve reproductive autonomy.ConclusionsWe argue for and propose a more inclusive definition of reproductive coercion that considers the gendered nature of reproductive coercion, and is linked to power, oppression and inequality, which is and can be perpetrated and/or facilitated at the interpersonal, community, organisational, institutional, systems, and societal levels as well as by the state.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

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