Nonconsensual marital sex and reproductive health among Filipino youth

Maria Paz N. Marquez, University of the Philippines

The study examines the extent of coercive marital sex among young Filipinos and its reproductive health consequences utilizing a sample of 2,090 married females 15-24 years old drawn from the nationally-representative 2002 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study data. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were employed to determine the associations between experiences of nonconsensual marital sex and selected reproductive health behavior and outcomes. Findings reveal that a full half of young females have experienced some form of coercive sex within marriage; 41% reporting occasional occurrence and 9% regular occurrence. Young women who reported nonconsensual marital sex are significantly more likely to experience symptoms of reproductive health problems and pregnancy complications, and are less likely to use modern family planning methods than those who did not. The study underscores the need for reproductive health programs to consider patterns of coercive sex when addressing the reproductive health needs of young people.