Doctors should ask women about reproductive coercion
When a husband or boyfriend refuses to wear a condom or hides a woman’s birth control pills that’s a form of abuse called reproductive coercion, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists wants doctors to screen for it.
“…In studies cited by the committee, “birth control sabotage” was reported by 25% of teen girls with abusive partners and by 15% of women who were physically abused. Some men go as far as to pull out a woman’s intrauterine device (IUD) or vaginal contraceptive ring, the committee says.
” ‘Often, it’s about taking away choices, taking away freedom, control and self-esteem,’ says Rebekah Gee, an obstetrician and gynecologist in New Orleans and assistant professor at Louisiana State University. She did not work on the opinion, but has studied the problem….
“The opinion says obstetricians and gynecologists can help women in these relationships by directing them to agencies and hotlines that help abused women, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). But it also says doctors can take direct action, by providing women with hard-to-detect birth control methods (including IUDs with the removal strings cut, if necessary) or a stash of emergency contraceptive pills (in a plain envelope).”
The article states that in a small study reports of reproductive coercion dropped 71 percent among women who go information about abuse. The article says many women don’t even realize it’s a form of abuse.
So what do you think: Would a doctor asking about this at your annual visit help? Would you talk to your daughters about this to make sure they know it’s not OK for men to do this? Has this ever happened to you?
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
60 comments Add your comment
Aquagirl
January 26th, 2013
3:18 pm
People like Stonewall et al make me SICK.
Then for God’s sake, stay away from the Menz Right’s websites they inhabit. Notice how quick this blog went from actual problem of women to “ooooh—let’s talk about a REAL problem —poor trapped men!”
It’s a weird combo of self-absorption and misogyny.
cgatlanta
January 26th, 2013
5:07 pm
I’m a guy that’s almost 50. I have hundreds of male friends from over the years, school, college, work, etc. I do not believe one of us could uninstall an IUD.
PressedOn
January 26th, 2013
5:50 pm
Abuse is abuse. Do we really need to break it down categorically? I can’t find sympathy for women who stay with their abusers.
mom2alex&max
January 26th, 2013
8:11 pm
PressedOn: because you just don’t understand how it works.
mom2alex&max
January 26th, 2013
8:12 pm
Aquagirl: I wouldn’t dream of ever laying eyes on such crap. I stay away from stuff like that. I sure wish they would return the favor.
the truth
January 26th, 2013
8:21 pm
So easy. A woman can get pregnant, talk to the doctor, say it was reproductive coercion and all of a sudden the man is over the barrel. How do we prove it? Well the woman said it was so it must be true. Arrest the man unless……he wants to pay a nice junk of child support. I am sure the victimized woman would be willing to let the man not have a criminal record.
James
January 27th, 2013
9:10 am
If the doctor has to ask a woman about this or if you have to warn your daughters that this is a form of abuse…you have already lost the argument.
Only a moron would not know that the situation you describe is abuse.
PressedOn
January 27th, 2013
10:56 am
mom2alex&max @ 8:11
I don’t?
It’s cyclical. A female child brought up in an abusive household sees it as normal and continues the cycle. Somebody has to break the cycle…who better than her? If she doesn’t, her children (products of an abusive relationship) will continue the downward spiral.
It’s a matter of self-respect. You either claim it or you don’t. If she refuses to claim it, she’s full of excuses and lacks character.
PressedOn
January 27th, 2013
11:00 am
Add male children brought up in the same abusive household. They continue the cycle too.
mom2alex&max
January 27th, 2013
11:49 am
PressedOn: and therefore somehow deserves it?????????
The way domestic abuse works is by stripping the self-worth. The more you are told that you are a worthless POS who couldn’t survive with your abuser, coupled by maybe a few well placed slaps, the more you believe it. And it gets to the point where you truly believe you have no choice and you don’t deserve better. It is INCREDIBLY difficult to break that cycle and it isn’t simply a matter of growing some balls and finding self-respect. It is difficult because you DON’T HAVE any self-respect. The abuser has stripped you of it! Plus you probably have about ZERO financial resources or any kind of emotional support, because the abuser usually strips you of that too by isolating you from your family and friends, forbidding you from getting a job, or doing any damn thing that isn’t about HIM.
I personally challenge you to talk to some of those women. And they come back and tell me you have zero sympathy. Go ahead and tell them to their face they have no self-respect.