SSN Commentary
Abortion Bans Can Be Deadly for Victims of Domestic Violence
Policy field
Originally published in Ms. Magazine on October 15, 2024.
As the 2024 election approaches, voters face a critical decision: whether to protect reproductive rights at the ballot box. In many states, abortion access is on the line, either through direct ballot measures or by electing candidates whose policies will determine the future of these rights. But what is often overlooked in this debate is the dangerous ripple effect abortion bans have on domestic violence.
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision, which overturned the constitutional right to choose whether to terminate a pregnancy, abortion bans have made pregnant individuals more vulnerable to abuse and, in some cases, deadly violence.