Risk of violence from the man involved in the pregnancy after receiving or being denied an abortion
Open Access
- 29 September 2014
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in BMC Medicine
- Vol. 12 (1), 1-7
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-014-0144-z
Abstract
Intimate partner violence is common among women having abortions, with between 6% and 22% reporting recent violence from an intimate partner. Concern about violence is a reason some pregnant women decide to terminate their pregnancies. Whether risk of violence decreases after having an abortion, remains unknown. Data are from the Turnaway Study, a prospective cohort study of women seeking abortions at 30 facilities across the U.S. Participants included women who: presented just prior to a facility’s gestational age limit and received abortions (Near Limit Abortion Group, n = 452), presented just beyond the gestational limit and were denied abortions (Turnaways, n = 231), and received first trimester abortions (First Trimester Abortion Group, n = 273). Mixed effects logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between receiving versus being denied abortion and subsequent violence from the man involved in the pregnancy over 2.5 years. Physical violence decreased for Near Limits (adjusted odds ratios (aOR), 0.93 per month; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.90, 0.96), but not Turnaways who gave birth (P < .05 versus Near Limits). The decrease for First Trimesters was similar to Near Limits (P = .324). Psychological violence decreased for all groups (aOR, 0.97; CI 0.94, 1.00), with no differential change across groups. Policies restricting abortion provision may result in more women being unable to terminate unwanted pregnancies, potentially keeping them in contact with violent partners, and putting women and their children at risk.Keywords
This publication has 26 references indexed in Scilit:
- Women's Emotions One Week After Receiving or Being Denied an Abortion in the United StatesPerspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2013
- Patient Education and Emotional Support Practices in Abortion Care Facilities in the United StatesWomen's Health Issues, 2012
- Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Among an Abortion Clinic PopulationAmerican Journal of Public Health, 2010
- Exposure to domestic violence: A meta-analysis of child and adolescent outcomesAggression and Violent Behavior, 2008
- Participation Rates in Epidemiologic StudiesAnnals of Epidemiology, 2007
- Abortion Among Young Women and Subsequent Life OutcomesPerspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2007
- Reporting Participation in Epidemiologic Studies: A Survey of PracticeAmerican Journal of Epidemiology, 2005
- Reasons U.S. Women Have Abortions: Quantitative and Qualitative PerspectivesPerspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2005
- Health consequences of intimate partner violenceThe Lancet, 2002
- The Prevalence of Domestic Violence Among Women Seeking AbortionObstetrics & Gynecology, 1998