Here is a snippet of Anna Beahm's latest Sunday Bulletin, where she rounds up all the latest and greatest in the world of sexuality and religion: The disturbing link between pregnancy and murder When people think about the dangers of pregnancy and childbirth, murder usually isn’t the first cause of death that comes to mind. But homicide is a leading cause of death in pregnancy and postpartum, killing twice as many pregnant and recently pregnant people as hemorrhage, high blood pressure disorders or infection, according to a recent study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. A growing body of research is examining the link between pregnancy and homicide, spotlighting the ways in which pregnancy can make domestic violence situations even more dangerous. “Pregnancy upsets the dynamic between the abuser and the victim,” said Natalie Nanasi, director of the Hunter Legal Center for Victims of Crimes Against Women, and an associate professor of law at SMU Dedman School of Law. “Suddenly you have a woman who’s going to doctor’s appointments and potentially disclosing what’s happening in her home,” she said. “And then it sounds strange to think of a baby as a threat, but you have this new baby coming into (an abusive) dynamic whose presence is going to ‘threaten’ the control the abuser is exercising.” Researchers found that women who were pregnant or within one year postpartum had a 16% higher homicide rate than women in the same age group who were not pregnant. Nearly 1 in 6 pregnant women have been abused by a partner, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. And women who experience intimate partner violence before and during pregnancy are at increased risk of complications including infection and high blood pressure. They’re more likely to deliver their babies too early, and have babies with low birth weight.
If you like what you’re reading, you can read the rest of the bulletin here. | 