Hidden Dangers: Violence and Homicide in Pregnancy

For many, pregnancy evokes images of protection and care. Yet for a disturbing number of women, it is a period of heightened danger—not from medical complications, but from the people around them.

More Likely to Be Killed Than to Die in Childbirth

In the United States, women who are pregnant or have recently given birth are more likely to be murdered than to die from obstetric causes. Health authorities describe this as a “health emergency for pregnant women.”

These deaths are not random. They are tightly linked to intimate partner violence and the widespread availability and use of firearms.

The Intersection of Abuse and Reproduction

Violence during pregnancy doesn’t appear out of nowhere. It often emerges in relationships already marked by abuse and control. Pregnant women may also face reproductive coercion—partners sabotaging contraception, pressuring them into pregnancy, or forcing decisions about abortion or birth.

Pregnancy can intensify an abuser’s desire for control, while simultaneously making it harder for a woman to leave due to financial dependence, social pressure, or fear for her child’s safety.

A Missed Opportunity in the Exam Room

Prenatal care brings many women into regular contact with the health system for the first time. Each visit is a potential lifeline: a chance to screen for violence, recognize warning signs, and quietly offer resources.

Some guidelines already recommend routine questioning about domestic violence and reproductive coercion during pregnancy. When clinicians identify women at risk and connect them with support, safety planning, and legal resources, pregnancy‑related homicides are often preventable.

Counting What We’d Rather Not See

Highlighting homicide in pregnancy is uncomfortable; it runs counter to cultural narratives of motherhood as sacred and protected. Yet ignoring it leaves the most vulnerable women invisible.

Seeing pregnancy‑related violence clearly forces a broader view of maternal health—one that goes beyond blood pressure and ultrasounds to include safety, relationships, and the deadly intersection of abuse and weapons.

Protecting pregnant women’s lives, it turns out, means not only safer births, but safer homes.