In yesterday’s hearing of Senate Bill 276, Associate Professor of Justice at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Dr. Ingrid Johnson advocated for the bill, claiming increased access to contraceptives will benefit women experiencing domestic abuse. However, increased access to contraceptives is more to the abuser’s benefit than the victim.
The statistics regarding domestic violence rates in Alaska are abysmal. As Dr. Johnson cited, “One in two Alaskan women have had partners who control what they can do, where they can go, and other aspects of their life.” “Two in five” women have experienced attempted or completed forced and/or alcohol/drug-involved nonconsensual sexual penetration; “one in three” have experienced coerced sexual penetration.
Women experiencing this abuse deserve real solutions. They deserve to get out of those relationships. How does giving women contraceptives help them get out of unsafe relationships?
How does preventing pregnancy help a woman get away from her abuser? Many abusers would much prefer her to continue to take contraceptives. While a minority of abusers restrict their partners’ use of contraception, most abusers are highly supportive of both contraceptive and abortive measures. Anything that prevents the responsibility of a child.
Controlling and abusive men know that pregnancy is liability. If his partner becomes pregnant, there is always a chance she will want to keep the child. In fact, the majority of women facing unplanned pregnancies do want to keep their babies but feel pressured to abort. Keeping the child means the man will now have legal responsibilities that he does not want. More than that, it means he will no longer be her whole world, and she will be much harder to control.
Speaking from experience, pregnancy can be one of the best things to happen to a woman in an abusive relationship. The odd thing about domestic abuse is victims often do not realize the extent of the abuse they are experiencing. In many situations, the abuse becomes “the norm,” and women stay in the relationship.
When I became pregnant, I woke up to the reality that the relationship I was in was abusive. The fear of what my partner might do to my child became greater than any fears about leaving. Where I was to live, how I was to live, and how I would provide for my baby as a single mother were all real concerns, but what mattered more than anything was making sure my baby would be safe when he was born. Although I could not be convinced to leave for my own sake, I had the strength to leave for my son’s sake.
What would happen if we stopped proliferating the narrative that pregnancy is an oppressive, burdensome ailment and instead recognize that pregnancy could be the very thing that gives a woman experiencing domestic abuse the courage, strength, and clarity to leave her abuser and improve her life? It is well known that a mother protecting her child is a fierce force of nature.
You don’t mess with a mama bear.
