“If I Control Your Body, I Can Fully Control You”: Interpersonal and Structural Violence Findings from the Georgia Medication Abortion Project

Abstract

Access to medication abortion—the use of medications rather than a surgical procedure for pregnancy termination—is an essential reproductive healthcare service. Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade and federal abortion protections in the United States, medication abortion and telemedicine for abortion are increasingly vital. Black, Latinx, and lower-income women in the United States already experience disproportionate barriers to abortion care and interpersonal and structural violence—interconnected, social systems that police bodily autonomy. This current study examined qualitative data from a larger community-led, reproductive justice project on medication abortion perspectives among Black and Latinx women in a large, urban center in Georgia. We used thematic analysis to examine interviews ( N = 82) with key informants ( n = 20) and interviews ( n = 32) and focus groups ( n = 30) with Black and Latinx women ages 18–51 years. Four violence-related themes were identified: (a) sexual assault and intimate partner violence as reasons for abortion; (b) reproductive coercion by partners and family members; (c) reproductive coercion by predominantly White providers; and (d) abortion bans, the legacy of enslavement, immigration enforcement, and poverty as structural violence. Shifting family planning care to be patient- and community-centered, in conjunction with policy advocacy to change oppressive systems, is critical.