By Aria Brent
AFRO Staff Writer
abrent@afro.com
One in 20 women reported intimate partner violence (IPV) while pregnant, according to a new report released on Dec. 5 by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). A study conducted from 2016 to 2022 found emotional violence to be most common, followed by physical violence and sexual violence. Much of this abuse then led to emotional issues and neglect of the mothers and their unborn children.
“Experiencing intimate partner violence during pregnancy was associated with delaying or not getting prenatal care; depression during pregnancy; cigarette smoking, alcohol use, marijuana use, and/or illicit substance use during pregnancy and having an infant with low birth weight,” according to the study.
The CDC also reported, in July of this year, that many people who experience abuse during their pregnancy dealt with toxic, dangerous behavior before getting pregnant. Nearly half the deaths of pregnant women were related to IPV.
Researchers found that “over two thirds of people who experienced violence by a current intimate partner during pregnancy also experienced it before pregnancy,” and “almost half (45.3 percent) of homicides to women who were pregnant or within one year of pregnancy have been found to involve intimate partner violence.”
It was noted that this issue can be combatted by increasing awareness surrounding the negative impacts of intimate partner violence during pregnancy and putting effective prevention strategies in place for mothers and their infants.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) explained how and why abuse can occur during a pregnancy.
“Partners become abusive or increase the abuse during pregnancy for a variety of reasons. Since abuse is based on power and control, it’s common that an abusive partner will become resentful and jealous that the attention is shifting from them to the pregnancy,” according to information released by NDVH representatives. “They may be stressed at the thought of financially supporting a child, frustrated at the increased responsibilities or angry that their partner’s body is changing. None of this is the survivor’s fault, and none of these are excuses. There is no excuse for abuse.”
Brianna Jackson is the central program manager for Perinatal Outreach and Encouragement for Moms (POEM) a nonprofit focused on providing peer support, support groups, and mental health resources for pregnant and postpartum moms and birthing persons. Through her personal and professional experiences, she’s seen how intimate partner violence can impact expecting mothers and their babies.
“I was in a relationship and was under the impression that protection was being used every time. However, it wasn’t until I found out that I was pregnant when the truth came out.,” stated Jackson. “On top of this, the father of my child was not only unremorseful but he was insistent on me having an abortion. I was not interested and chose to keep my baby and it was then that the abuse officially began.”
Jackson noted that her child’s father began to threaten and neglect her, along with mentally and emotionally abusing her. She also noted that her own experiences have led her to her current position where’s been able to work directly with Black mothers and learn just how many of them struggle with this issue.
“We have a branch called ‘Rise,’ where we cater specially to Black mothers. Unfortunately, it’s evident that there are more Black women who deal with the issue of IPV than any other demographic,” she said.
The CDC’s report solidified Jackson’s claims noting that minority mothers were found to deal with IPV while pregnant at a higher rate than other demographics.
“Some demographic groups experience a disproportionate prevalence of IPV during pregnancy, including Black or African American,” the report read.
Additionally, NDVH shared how this issue impacts Black mothers but also the Black community at large.
“More than 40 percent of Black women and men experience physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking from their intimate partner in their lifetime,” said the NDVH.“Black women and Black men both experience domestic violence at higher rates than other communities.Survivors in the Black community, can also face increased barriers to accessing support services.”
NDVH referenced a series of resources that are available for survivors of abuse in general along with some that are specific to women and mothers specifically.
“The Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau has a website where you can review your rights during pregnancy and as a parent. Some state domestic violence coalitions also have dedicated projects that support protecting yourself financially,” they stated. “Knowing your custody options can also be confusing. This is especially true if you have several plans for you and your future child’s safety. ‘WomensLaw’ offers a wealth of legal information including, custody information and parental kidnapping laws searchable by state.”
The state of New York has multiple options to help abuse survivors escape their situations including funding specifically for providing safety to those in abusive relationships and a paid time off program where employees dealing with IPV can take time off to create a safety plan and seek resources.
“In New York, we have the SAFE fund. This is funding that a survivor can use for anything they need to help them remove financial barriers to safety. Survivors could use this money to pay for transportation to doctor’s appointments or any medical expenses they might incur, said Kelli Owens, executive director for the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. “New York is also one of a few states that has safe time, which is paid time off for people who are in a domestic violence situation to seek services and allow them to [develop a] safety plan.”
Owens also explained how the state of New York is working to make sure that expecting mothers are being treated fairly and not having to choose between work and their health.
“New York is also the first in the nation to pass a law that requires employers to provide paid time off for prenatal medical care because a person shouldn’t have to choose between a paycheck or going to the doctor. Governor Hochul signed the law back in April and it goes into effect Jan. 1.”
The post Study reveals that 1 in 20 women face abuse while pregnant appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
