- The National Domestic Violence Hotline has reported a 100% increase in reproductive coercion reports.
- Reproductive coercion includes abusive behavior like hiding birth control or sabotaging contraception.
- The hotline has also reported its highest volume of daily calls since its founding in 1996.
When the Supreme Court issued its decision on Dobbs v. Jackson last year, it put an end to federally legalized abortion. Experts across the nation warned the decision would put the physical and mental health of millions of people in jeopardy.
Now, the consequences are becoming more clear.
Since the Supreme Court decision, the National Domestic Violence Hotline has seen a 100% increase in calls about reproductive coercion, a form of domestic violence in which an abuser attempts to control their partner’s body and reproductive agency, according to PBS News Hour.
Reproductive coercion includes things like hiding a partner’s birth control or sabotaging their contraception, PBS reported.
Alongside the increase in these reports, PBS also noted that the hotline is now receiving upwards of 3,000 calls per day, the highest volume they’ve seen since its founding in 1996.
In 2022 alone — only the last six months of which were impacted by the Dobbs decision — the hotline received 27,350 reports of sexual abuse, which includes refusal to use contraception. That’s an increase from 2021 when the hotline received 21,093 reports of sexual abuse.
To contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline, call 1-800-799-7233, text “START” to 88788, or visit their website.
