Not to be outdone, kNOwMORE would like to test your knowledge about the link between relationship abuse and women’s reproductive health here (answers follow below):

1.)    True or False: About half of all pregnancies, or approximately 3 million per year, are unplanned.

2.)    True or False: Women disclosing physical violence are nearly three times more likely to experience a sexually transmitted infection than women who don’t disclose physical abuse.

3.)    True or False: Approximately one third of African American women report coercive sexual contact by the time they turn 18.

4.)    True or False: Eight percent of pregnant women who have been exposed to abuse report that their pregnancy was unintended, compared to forty percent of non-abused women.

5.)    True or False: Women experiencing abuse in the year prior to and/or during a recent pregnancy are 40 to 60 percent more likely than non-abused women to report high-blood pressure, vaginal bleeding, severe nausea, kidney or urinary tract infections and hospitalization during pregnancy.

And now for the answers…

1.)    TRUE — About half of all pregnancies each year are unintended, broken down a little further, 81% of all teen pregnancies are unplanned; 60 % of pregnancies among women in their early 20s are unplanned.

2.)    TRUE — Women disclosing physical violence are nearly three times more likely to experience a sexually transmitted infection than women who don’t disclose physical abuse.

3.)    FALSE – the number of African American women reporting coercive sexual contact by the time they are 18 is actually higher than one third – astonishingly, it’s approximately 40%.

4.)    FALSE –  The exact opposite is true:  an astounding 40% of pregnant women who have been exposed to abuse report that their pregnancy was unintended, compared to just eight percent of non-abused women.

5.)    TRUE – Women experiencing abuse in the year prior to and/or during a recent pregnancy are 40 to 60 percent more likely than non-abused women to report high-blood pressure, vaginal bleeding, severe nausea, kidney or urinary tract infections and hospitalization during pregnancy.

For more information about these statistics and other facts about the link between women’s reproductive health and relationship abuse, please visit kNOwMORE facts page: http://www.knowmoresaymore.org/know/

Among the top priorities for young women were solving the financial crisis, addressing civil rights issues, and combating HIV.  Also on the front burner for Generation Y Women – a call for combating relationship and domestic abuse.

Nearly three in four women, or 73 percent, say violence against women in the U.S. should be another first-year priority for Obama.

One in three women of Generation Y, or 36 percent, say they are very worried about becoming a victim of or knowing someone who is a victim of domestic violence. Among older women, it was one in four, or 23 percent.

View the full poll or press release from the YWCA here:
http://www.ywca.org/site/pp.asp?c=djISI6PIKpG&b=4783147

Read the AP story on the release of the poll:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ibCzZnfocJcX5GTX1xIumiW-gMMgD94KT8HG0

Sexual abuse, coercion often overlooked
Study says one in five college-aged women experience forced intercourse in relationships

by Elisabeth Kramer |
PUBLISHED ON 11/18/08 IN News

The term “abusive relationship” often conjures up images of black eyes, split lips and unexplained bruises. However, according to the Family Violence Prevention Fund, such limited definitions leave out a whole section of abuse: reproductive and sexual coercion.

In a study conducted for the FVPF, nearly one in five college-aged women reported having experienced forced intercourse during a relationship. In some cases, partners assert their power by prohibiting or sabotaging a woman’s use of contraceptives. In such instances, women are unable to protect themselves against unplanned pregnancies, HIV and sexually transmitted infections.

Rebecca Sprinson of the ASUO Women’s Center works to spread information about this often overlooked section of abuse. As the organization’s sexual violence prevention and education coordinator , Sprinson sometimes works with women who come in to report abuse.

“The Women’s Center serves as a safe space for anyone to come in and access our resources and referral services,” Sprinson said in an e-mail.

The Women’s Center provides Anonymous Report Forms, phone numbers and information about campus and community services such as Womenspace and Sexual Assault Support Services for victims of sexual abuse.

SASS of Lane County offers a 24-hour crisis line and advocates for all survivors of sexual abuse and assault. However, as reported by the Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force, fewer than 5 percent of college women report their assault to law enforcement agencies.

“A huge number of our services go toward working with students from the University,” said Wendy Maurer, a SASS advocate. “The numbers we have concerning relationship abuse are remarkably high, but as most people don’t talk about it, I’m sure the statistics are actually much higher.”

SASS works with the Women’s Center to encourage discussion on campus about intimate partner violence. Such measures are also being undertaken by FVPF, which recently launched the kNOw More initiative. The group is designed to spread education about birth control sabotage and sexual coercion, according to a Sept. 9 press release. Above all else, Maurer wants students to know that there are options.

“If you want to leave, and in some cases people don’t, there are options that can allow your partner to never even know you’re seeking help,” Maurer said. “The University is unique in that the campus is high-risk and there are a wide variety of resources for students to use.”

Sprinson of the Women’s Center suggests placing a higher value on healthy communication within a relationship.

“Using power dynamics to get what you want from a partner is completely unacceptable,” Sprinson said. “It doesn’t matter what gender you are, what kind of relationship you are in; healthy and happy relationships are about making decisions together and respecting other people’s decisions.”

At a glance:

The red flags of intimate partner violence
• Constantly being the butt of sexual insults and jokes
• Unwanted touching or forced physical contact
• Birth control sabotage; includes disappearance of birth control pills or tampering with condoms

View the full story online at: http://www.dailyemerald.com/home/index.cfm?event=articleCommentSaved&ucomment_id=d4ad552a-947a-435b-be28-09c9a321720f&storyURL=%2Fhome%2Findex.cfm%3Fevent%3DdisplayArticle%26ustory_id%3D94ffde64-1635-4ede-82d4-0bb2e1cb0031

http://www.collegenews.com/index.php?/article/connecting_the_dots_between_relationship_abuse_and_womens_health_141222/

There is an emerging link between relationship abuse and women’s reproductive health issues

Know More Say More

Violence. Reproductive Health. Different issues. Different places to go for help. Different conversations. That’s the way it works today in politics, health care, the public discourse. But that’s not the way it works in real life. Not for millions of women, especially young adults and college students, whose reproductive health is affected by sexual and domestic violence.

The truth is that there is an emerging link between relationship abuse, including forced sex, and women’s reproductive health issues like unplanned pregnancy and STD infection.

For example:

• Nearly one-third of American women (31 percent) report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives

• 40% of pregnant women who have been exposed to abuse report that their pregnancy was unintended, compared to just eight percent of non-abused women.

• Women disclosing physical violence are also nearly three times more likely to experience a sexually transmitted infection than other women.

Many women, particularly those experiencing abuse within their relationships, do not step forward to share their stories and receive the help and support they need because they feel isolated, alone and ashamed.

One woman, “Janey,” was 19 when she entered a new relationship that quickly turned abusive.  “Every time I would confront him about his lies and unfaithfulness, he would force himself on me sexually,” she said.  “He always refused to wear a condom and would act offended when I suggested he use one. Other forms of birth control (female contraceptives) made me very sick, and I could not use them for health reasons.”

The relationship continued and the abuse became worse.  “I wanted him to move out of my house. Every time I even suggested it, he would become furious and physically threaten me. He consistently told me how ‘crazy.’ ‘jealous,’ and ‘insecure’ I was for questioning him about his lies.”

Janey soon became pregnant and was diagnosed with multiple STD’s even though her only sexual partner was her boyfriend.  She eventually had to get a restraining order against him in order to keep him away from her and her children.

Today, Janey is one of a growing number of women who has shared her story with Know More Say More, an organization working to shine a light on the link between relationship abuse and reproductive health for women by sharing stories, resources and promoting awareness of these issues.

Know More Say More also seeks to combat the silent stigma that often makes women feel alone and isolated inside of abusive relationships by creating a safe space to share experiences and develop a common language.

We have to wonder if the folks who run this pharmacy know the full story about the causes of unplanned pregnancy.

Research has shown that there is an emerging link between relationship abuse and unplanned pregnancy – for instance, 40% of pregnant women who have been exposed to abuse report that their pregnancy was unintended, compared to just eight percent of non-abused women.  Refusing to use birth control, or engaging in birth control sabotage is one of the most troubling ways that abusive men exert control over women in unhealthy relationships.

Shame, feelings of powerlessness, and a general lack of awareness about the issues involved in birth control sabotage often leave women in this situation without the support or compassion they need to make a change.

By refusing to offer even the most basic form of birth control, the pharmacists at Divine Mercy Care Pharmacy may be exposing women who are in abusive relationships to greater risk for unplanned pregnancy and other reproductive health problems.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iFLoWwSaVUeLMHe8mPIPm-DymIMAD93V56MO0

This particular event was called “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” and was sponsored by UW-Stout’s Men in Violence Prevention (MVP) program as an attempt to reach out to new members and promote the end of violence.

Read more on the event here: http://www.twincities.com/wisconsin/ci_10741085

Stories like this are a great reminder that men can and do stand up, sometimes in pumps, to take on relationship abuse.

UW’s MVP group has also posted a list of top ten ways for men to combat relationship abuse, which all campuses should take a look at: http://www.uwstout.edu/cvpp/prevent_gender_violence.html

1.  Approach gender violence as a MEN’S issue involving men of all ages, socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds. View men not only as perpetrators or possible offenders, but also as empowered bystanders who can confront abusive peers.

2. If a brother, friend, classmate or teammate is abusing his female partner is disrespectful or abusive to girls and women in general—don’t look the other way. If you feel comfortable doing so, try to talk to him about it. Urge him to seek help. Or if you don’t know what to do, consult a friend, a parent, a professor, or a counselor. DON’T REMAIN SILENT.

3. Have the courage to look inward. Question your own attitudes. Don’t be defensive when something you do or say ends up hurting someone else. Try hard to understand how your own attitudes and actions might inadvertently perpetuate sexism and violence and work toward changing them.

4. If you suspect that a woman close to you is being abused or has been sexually assaulted, gently ask if you can help.

5. If you are emotionally, psychologically, physically or sexually abusive to women, or have been in the past, seek professional help NOW.

6. Be an ally to women who are working to end all forms of gender violence. Raise money for community based rape crisis centers and battered women’s shelter. If you belong to a team or fraternity, or another student group, organize a fundraiser.

7. Recognize and speak out against homophobia and gay bashing. Discrimination and violenceagainst lesbians and gays are wrong in and ofthemselves. This abuse also has direct links to sexism (e.g. the sexual orientation of men who speak out against sexism is often questioned, a conscious or unconscious strategy intended to silence them. This is a key reason few men do so).

8. Attend programs, take courses, watch films and read articles and book about multicultural masculinities, gender inequality, and the root causes of gender violence. Educate yourself and others about how larger social forces affect the conflicts between individual men and women.

9. Don’t fund sexism. Refuse to purchase/subscribe to any magazine, rent videos, support web sites, or buy music that portrays girls or women in a sexually degrading or abusive manner. Protest sexism in the media.

10. Mentor and teach young boys about how to be men in ways that don’t involve degrading or abusing girls and women.

In a statement, Alabama State Health Officer Don Williamson said, “we need to be aware that teen pregnancy is interrelated to health problems we’re seeing with infant mortality.”  He continued,  “also, we are concerned that risk behaviors seem to be increasing among our teenagers.”

What’s really troubling is that the state’s public health official is expressing almost no concern for the health and well being of teen girls who are becoming pregnant at alarming rates.

In addition to ensuring that the state is adequately providing comprehensive sexual health education, including science based prevention programs, there are other important risk factors to explore – including relationship abuse. Girls who are victims of violence from dating partners are four to six times more likely than non-abused girls to become pregnant, and eight to nine times more likely to attempt suicide.

These findings should be a wake up call to public health officials that it’s time to take action.  If young people are taught how to prevent pregnancy, and young women in particular understand how to recognize the signs of abuse, and also what to look for in healthy relationships, young people will not find themselves having children before they are ready.

“We’ve all heard the stereotypes and assumptions–’she’s pregnant because she was too irresponsible to use birth control” or “she got HIV because she sleeps around.”  But emerging data is shining a light on a very different story: an astonishing number of young women, while dating or in relationships, are raped or coerced into sex, prevented from using protection, or forced into choices that are not their own.’  Read the full post here.

In other updates, “Janey” has shared a story about reproductive coercion with us.  Our thanks to Janey (not her real name) for sharing.  A reminder that we continue to invite you to share stories so that we can educate the public, policy makers, and advocates about this important issue.

Efforts to enact the law were led by the parents of Lindsay Ann Burke, who was killed at age 23 by an abuser.  The curriculum will be taught to students in grades 7 through 12.

The Burkes note that schools can help teens see the warning signs of abusive relationships and empower them to get out of dangerous situations.  Read the whole story here .

But what they fail to note in this collection of songs, including Springsteen’s “The River,” and Fantasia’s “Baby Mama” is that the darker side of the rising number of teen pregnancies has not yet made it into the public consciousness.

While nearly everyone acknowledges that teen parents face a hard road, most don’t realize that as many as two-thirds of adolescents who become pregnant were sexually or physically abused some time in their lives.*

In addition, between 25 and 50 percent of adolescent mothers experience partner violence before, during, or just after their pregnancy.**

We hope stories about teen pregnancy will start acknowledging some of the deeper issues at play.  For a more on the links between teen pregnancy and abuse, see http://www.knowmoresaymore.org/know/

You can read the full MSNBC Story here.