Because women of reproductive age report higher rates of interpersonal violence than women in other age groups, a fairly extensive body of research has examined issues specific to violence and reproductive health, including pregnancy, pregnancy intention, contraceptive use, pregnancy termination, and pregnancy outcome. This commentary reviews current literature in each of these areas. Despite the limitations of current research and some inconclusive results, several important points are documented: (1) violence occurs commonly during pregnancy; (2) violence is associated with unintended pregnancies and may be related to inconsistent contraceptive use; and (3) research is inclusive regarding the relationship between violence and pregnancy outcomes. After review of the literature some important questions for future research have emerged: (1) does violence increase, decrease, or remain the same during pregnancy and the postpartum periods, and what are the implications for the health of the mother and the child; (2) what is the role of violence on reproductive decisionmaking; (3) what are the risk and protective factors for violence against women of reproductive age; and (4) what screening and intervention strategies might be effective at decreasing violence against women and improving reproductive health? To address these questions, four study aspects need strengthening when new research examining violence and reproductive health is being developed. These aspects are the study population and setting, data collection, measurement of violence and other factors, and screening and intervention programs. References