reproducive coersion

[sophiaserpentia]

There's a fascinating post today at Shakesville about reproductive coersion, which is when men act to override their female partner's reproductive freedom, essentially in an attempt to force her to become pregnant against her will. In the context of abusive relationships, which are at heart about controlling someone by reducing their freedom to act independently, it makes sense; but what surprises me is how common it actually is.

[Reproductive coercion] is when the male partner pressures the other, through verbal threats, physical aggression, or birth-control sabotage, to become pregnant. According to Miller's research, about a third of women reporting partner violence experienced reproductive coercion, as did 15 percent of women who had never reported violence.

Overall, rates of reproductive coercion among family-planning-clinic patients are surprisingly high: about one in five women report their partner having attempted to coerce them into pregnancy.

Comments

Re: am unsurprised :/

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Ugh. :(