Legislation introduced in Congress last month would require a study of harmful effects of intimate partner violence on maternal health and investment in programs to prevent instances of abuse.
“Improving maternal health outcomes must be a national priority, and that includes confronting the role intimate partner violence can play during pregnancy,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who introduced the bill with Sen. Jeanne Sjaheen, D-NH.
“We need strong, evidence-based research to fully understand this connection and to give communities the tools to keep mothers safe,” Murkowski added. “This legislation provides resources to organizations at all levels to study this connection and implement effective strategies to protect moms and babies during one of the most vulnerable periods of their lives.”
The senators said abuse continues to be a pervasive challenge, with one in three women having experienced sexual violence, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner during her lifetime. Approximately 324,000 pregnant people experience intimate partner violence every year, and nearly half of female survivors experience some sort of physical injury.
A companion bill, The Protect Moms from Domestic Violence Act, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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