Women’s empowerment in the form of intra-household bargaining power, employment, and education have been documented to both reduce and increase the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV). Using data from the latest wave of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), this article investigates how a woman’s contraceptive use decisions could affect IPV, and shows that independently deciding to use contraceptives puts her at a greater risk of physical, sexual, and emotional violence.