As we observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month, it’s essential to highlight an often-overlooked form of abuse: reproductive coercion. Reproductive coercion frequently occurs alongside other forms of domestic abuse, manipulating a survivor’s autonomy and deepening the power imbalance in abusive relationships. The increasing rate of reproductive coercion in the U.S. underscores the critical need for abortion access as a means for survivors to reclaim their autonomy and rebuild their lives.
Reproductive Coercion, Abortion Bans, and the Cycle of Abuse
Reproductive coercion refers to behavior that interferes with a person’s autonomous decision-making around their reproductive health, and it is a particularly harmful form of abuse. Reproductive coercion can take many forms, including sabotaging birth control, forcing sexual activity, and pressuring a partner to become pregnant. Coercion also includes forcing someone to continue a pregnancy against their will, or less commonly forcing someone to have an abortion.
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1 in 4 women* who experience intimate partner violence also experienced reproductive coercion. In cases of reproductive coercion, abusers leverage pregnancy to exert control and create vulnerabilities, such as financial or emotional dependence, to keep their victims in relationships they might otherwise leave. As a result, tactics of reproductive coercion can intensify the physical, emotional, and/or psychological trauma of an abusive relationship.
Since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, state restrictions on abortion access have made it increasingly difficult for survivors to break free from abusive relationships. Researchers calculated that more than 64,000 pregnancies resulted from rape between July 1, 2022 and January 1, 2024 in states where abortion has been banned. Due to the laws of their states, survivors of sexual violence may have no choice but to carry these pregnancies to term. These survivors who are forced to continue a pregnancy resulting from rape or sexual abuse can endure profound emotional trauma, including feelings of helplessness and anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Bottom line: When states limit or ban abortion access, they fail survivors by reinforcing that their bodies do not belong to them, perpetuating the cycle of abuse.
Abortion Access as a Means of Reclaiming Autonomy
For survivors of domestic violence, regaining control over their bodies is essential to breaking free from their abusers. Access to reproductive choices – including all methods of contraception and abortion – empowers survivors to shape their futures without manipulation. Without unfettered abortion access, abusers can use pregnancy as a tool of entrapment, making escape nearly impossible.
Take a moment to think about the profound humanity behind these statistics—the tens of thousands of survivors whose lives have been disrupted by the cruelty of not only their abusers, but also their states. Each number represents a life altered by trauma, a story silenced by fear, and a future complicated by uncertainty.
Survivors who come into our care deserve to find compassion and unwavering support, not further stigma and shame. By advocating for abortion access and reproductive autonomy, we not only honor survivors’ resilience but also empower them to reclaim their autonomy and decide their own futures.
*The Hotline data emphasizes the impact of reproductive coercion on cisgender women. However, reproductive coercion can affect all people who can become pregnant, including transgender men and nonbinary people. Additionally, people of all genders can be victims of domestic, sexual, and intimate partner violence.
Resources from Provide
- Register for our upcoming training, Centering Ethics & Autonomy in Pregnancy Options Counseling, on November 20, 2024.
- Explore free resources and tools for empowering individuals with informed choices regarding their reproductive healthcare in our Technical Assistance Library.
National Domestic Violence Resources
