Survivors of domestic violence have to navigate many elements to remain safe, and one is ensuring that they’re able to protect their reproductive health and take steps against reproductive coercion (i.e. coerced reproduction, reproductive control, or reproductive abuse). Reproductive coercion and domestic violence are strongly correlated, and we understand reproductive coercion to be a serious public health issue. As an advocate who supports survivors of domestic violence, it’s important to understand coercive behaviors that infringe on survivors’ reproductive rights and diminish their reproductive autonomy.
In recent years, and particularly considering the COVID-19 pandemic, you may have noticed an uptick in news stories about self-managed abortion (SMA) care. You may have even worked with survivors who self-managed their own abortion outside of a clinic with pills, herbs, or other methods. To help us on this learning journey, Provide and If/When/How are excited to offer a virtual training on Self-Managed Abortion, Domestic Violence, and the Law. This training has been designed specifically for those of you who provide direct services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
This 2-hour training will address questions you may have about the intersection of SMA care and your work. Our goal is that participants will leave the training with:
- A clarification of their values around SMA;
- New vocabulary to guide understanding of SMA as it intersects with domestic violence and sexual assault survivors; and
- Information on how to navigate mandatory reporting requirements without putting survivors at undue risk of law enforcement involvement.
