Texas in March seized on the COVID-19 crisis to ban abortion, with no exceptions for rape, incest, or fatal fetal defects. On Tuesday, an appeals court upheld the ban, stripping Texas women of a Constitutional right they have had for nearly 50 years. The research shows us that the effects of banning abortion are catastrophic, particularly during a public health crisis. At a time when pregnant women are trapped at home, domestic violence rates could skyrocket.
Domestic Violence in a Pandemic
For millions of women across the globe, home is a place of terror. Going to work or school may offer a break from the violence, or access to people and resources who can aid an escape. Now, violence survivors are trapped in homes with abusive partners, unable to leave or seek outside help. The United Nations and World Health Organization continue to warn us that domestic violence will increase for women trapped at home. Several cities have already reported significant spikes in domestic violence.
Pregnancy and Domestic Violence
Homicide is a leading cause of death among pregnant women. A 2010 study in Maryland found that murder is the leading cause of death during pregnancy and the first postpartum year. Even for women who are lucky enough to survive pregnancy with a violent partner, though, news of the pregnancy often accelerates the abuse.
1 in 6 women is abused for the first time during pregnancy. In one study, domestic violence assaults accounted for 22 percent of pregnant women’s emergency department visits. Numerous studies have documented an increase in abuse during pregnancy, with one study reporting that 66 percent of pregnant people experience physical assaults or verbal abuse. Fourteen percent of pregnant people experience severe physical violence.
Abuse of the mother correlates with a risk of bad pregnancy outcomes. Verbal abuse increases the risk of low birth weight, and physical abuse increases the risk of neonatal death, preterm labor, placental abruptions, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stays, and other bad outcomes.
The Link Between Abortion Restrictions and Domestic Violence
We don’t have to speculate about what happens to women when abortion clinics close. We already have research showing that the outcomes are catastrophic. The Turnaway Study, which followed women denied abortions and compared them to women who underwent abortions, found that women who did not get the abortions they needed were more likely to remain in abusive relationships. Indeed, women who can’t get abortions do worse on virtually every measure of well-being. They’re more likely to live in poverty, to suffer mental health issues, and to develop addictions. Women denied abortions are more likely to die during pregnancy, birth, or the postpartum year.
Abortion is not elective surgery. We are facing unprecedented unemployment in the wake of this crisis. Families may not be able to feed the children they have, let alone plan for another one. It’s no coincidence that the states that offer the fewest resources to women and to needy families are now trying to ban abortion. This is about controlling and punishing women.
Once the government takes a right, it’s very hard to get them to give it back. And now that courts have ruled that a crisis is reason to remove abortion rights, anti-choice states know that manufacturing another crisis can empower them to further control women.