Health-Related Behaviours and Conditions of Southern African Young Women Who Experienced Childhood Violence and Early Pregnancy: Results from Population-Based National Surveys

Ahokpossi Yédodé, Consortium régional pour la recherche en Economie Générationnelle (CREG)
Boladé Hamed Banougnin, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Jacques B. O. Emina, University of Kinshasa

This study investigated the extent to which the co-occurrence of early pregnancy and childhood violence affects adverse health-related outcomes among young women aged 18–24. We used data from the Violence Against Children Surveys in Lesotho (in 2018), Namibia (in 2019), and Zimbabwe (in 2017). 36% of respondents reported childhood violence; 18% reported early pregnancy. Childhood violence and early pregnancy were associated with increased probability of self-reported HIV-risk behaviours in the past year, intimate partner violence (IPV) in early adulthood, substance use and mental distress in the past 30 days. Early pregnancy interacted synergistically with childhood sexual violence to increase the risks of past-year multiple sexual partnership and IPV in early adulthood. Co-occurrence of early pregnancy and childhood physical violence synergistically increases the risks of IPV in early adulthood. Interventions that consider the full scope of childhood violence and early pregnancy rather than addressing individual conditions separately, may be beneficial.