A common misconception in many countries is that contraception, because it provides protection against pregnancy, promotes promiscuity among women. Also, many cultures measure a man’s virility by the number of children he is able to father. Consequently, a woman’s use of contraceptives may be perceived as a threat to her partner’s masculinity. Studies from countries as diverse as Bangladesh, Mexico, and South Africa provide strong evidence that fear of abuse from male partners is a critical factor in women’s decisions on contraceptive use.

In many countries, the law requires husbands’ permission before contraception is administered to women. These women are at increased risk of violence if they use contraception without the approval of their partners.

According to the NGO Family Planning International Assistance, women in Kenya often forge their partners’ signatures rather than risk violence or abandonment by requesting permission to use family planning services. Similarly, focus group discussions on sexuality in Mexico and Peru confirm that women feared violence, desertion, or accusations of infidelity if they proposed using contraception. When family planning providers in Ethiopia stopped requiring spousal consent, use of the clinics’ services increased by 26 per cent in a short period of time.

Women’s and girls’ ability to protect themselves from STDs and HIV/AIDS is drastically weakened by the threat of male violence. Violence increases the risk factor for women by exposing them to forced and unprotected sex. Their ability to negotiate condom use by their male partners is inversely related to the extent or degree of abuse in their relationship.