The reality of 'reproductive coercion'

A recent study has been published that shows the horrifying reality of women who have been forced into pregnancy by their partners. The article also claims that a huge majority of unintended pregnancies are due to this phenomenon.

Elizabeth Miller MD PhD and Jay Silverman PhD recently released a study highlighting what they call “reproductive coercion”, which includes forced sex, fear of violence if a woman refuses sex, or inability to negotiate condom or contraceptive use while in an abusive relationship. The actions of these abusive partners include taking off or intentionally breaking condoms, interfering with the woman’s birth control schedule, or threatening the woman into sex by saying they may beat the woman or leave her if she didn’t get pregnant.

The researchers talked to many women in five reproductive health care clinics in California seeking some form of treatment, and had them fill out an anonymous electronic questionnaire.

Shockingly, 53% of the participants reported that they had experienced physical or sexual violence at some time in their lives, and 25% had experienced ‘reproductive coercion.”

19% reported pregnancy coercion, and 15% experienced birth control sabotage.

The study mentions several applications of the study’s findings, such as the need to educate women who may consider physical violence and reproductive coercion as separate experiences, when instead they should be considered one in the same. It could also improve family planning services and counselors, which could point women toward contraception that would be harder for a woman’s partner to detect.

The fact that so many women are affected by this abusive behavior is severely disheartening, and points out the need to educate young girls in how to avoid getting into this kind of situation both in Minnesota and nationwide.

Help NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota lobby for change in reproductive education March 4th at the Capitol!