Physical or sexual violence often comes with reproductive coercion

Reproductive coercion is when "Male partners actively attempt to promote pregnancy against the will of their female partners," says Elizabeth Miller, an assistant professor of pediatrics in the UC Davis School of Medicine and a practitioner at UC Davis Children's Hospital. Of course reproductive coercion is not cool. You should have a baby when you're ready and willing, not because someone is forcing you. Sadly, in an article published in the January issue of the journal Contraception, "Pregnancy Coercion, Intimate Partner Violence and Unintended Pregnancy," found that reproductive coercion is associated with violence from male partners. The study further notes that when women reported experiencing both reproductive coercion and partner violence, the risk for unintended pregnancy increased significantly. Questions asked in the study included:

• "Has someone you were dating or going out with ever told you not to use any birth control" or "… said he would leave you if you would not get pregnant?"
• "Has someone you were dating or going out with ever taken off the condom while you were having sex so that you would get pregnant?"

Key stats:

• One in five young women said they experienced pregnancy coercion.
• 15% said they experienced birth control sabotage.
• 53% said they had experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner.
• More than a third of the women who reported partner violence - 35% - also reported either pregnancy coercion or birth control sabotage.

What to do if this is your situation: If you're experiencing violence of any kind from your partner, it's never ok. It's also not ok to be coerced or tricked into pregnancy; which is a form of abuse in itself. You can take steps to make a positive change in your life though. Domestic violence affects over 324,000 pregnant women annually and one report estimates that more than 2.5 million females experience some form of violence each year, with almost 2 out of 3 females in this population having been attacked by a family member or a person they know. Know that if you're being abused, and you bring a baby into the situation, that baby stands a very good chance of being abused as well. It's not just women at risk, but children too. Focus on learning the basic facts of domestic violence, what intimate partner violence is, and how you can assess if your relationship is abusive, plus find resource for support if you or a friend needs help.