Domestic Violence and Abortion
TW: mentions of rape, abortion, domestic violence
The Supreme Court recently overturned Roe v Wade, in a devastating blow to bodily autonomy. People worldwide are protesting the reversal of basic health care rights. A 10-year-old girl, raped and impregnated, had to cross the border from Ohio into Indiana to obtain an abortion. This is only one of many, many consequences that folks with a uterus now face.
Do you remember Laci Peterson? Laci, and her unborn son Conner, were murdered by Laci’s husband, Scott in 2002. Homicide is the leading cause of death for pregnant women and the number one cause is their partners. Black women are at a higher risk of homicide. Younger women, aged 10-24 years old, are also at a higher risk of homicide during pregnancy.
One in six survivors first experience abuse when they become pregnant. More than 320,000 pregnant women are abused by their partners each year, and as a result, they have a 37% higher risk of developing obstetric complications.
Keeping in mind that sexual coercion is a part of domestic violence, many people face unintended pregnancies due so because of rape. It’s estimated that over 2 million women will become pregnant by their partners with nonconsensual sex. Between 6% and 22% of women end their pregnancy through abortion because of an abusive partner. And these are the numbers we know for cisgender women. With the overturn of Roe vs. Wade, pregnant people will now be tethered to the person causing them harm for a lifetime.
DVN is committed to doing what we can to support survivors and their bodily autonomy. Domestic violence is about power and control. This decision is about power and control, and we cannot stand by as Indiana works to make safe access to abortion against the law.
What can you do? Support local abortion funds, vote, and know where those safe locations are in case you or someone you know needs it.