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September 1, 2010

A new study focusing on reproductive coercion brings a lesser-known form of domestic violence and spousal abuse to light. Time magazine reports that reproductive coercion "takes many forms" including verbal or physical threats from their male partners if a woman uses birth control or seek abortions.

Abusive partners "may throw away or damage birth control and remove condoms during sex. It usually takes place within an already abusive relationship, especially those that are emotionally abusive."

Elizabeth Miller, associate professor of pediatrics at the U.C. Davis School of Medicine says, "It's another way a male partner tries to control a female partner. Women say their partner tells them he wants to leave a legacy or have them in his life forever."

In a study Miller published in January, involving about 1,300 female patients ages 16 to 29 at family-planning clinics in Northern California, about a third of those who reported being in violent relationships said they had experienced reproductive coercion. But while the problem seems to be most acute among the young, it isn't exclusively so.

In a study Miller co-authored in April, as many as 75% of women between the ages of 18 and 49, who had a history of being in an abusive relationship, also reported some form of reproductive coercion. Miller found that simply asking women who visit family-planning clinics if their partner has ever tried to force them to get pregnant, and providing them with information on how to deal with it, can help spur women to get out of abusive relationships or take measures to protect themselves.

The study sheds a new light on a popular myth—that women are the only partners who tend to use pregnancy "as a weapon" or as a way to keep a man in their lives.

If you are interested in learning more about domestic violence, visit The Survivors Club domestic violence support center.

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