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Abstract: 

Amber Morczek and Brianne Posey, two academics with expertise on the intersection between gender, sexual violence, and the law, provide a scathing analysis of the 2022 Supreme Court decision on abortion rights, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This ruling, which overturned the long-standing decisions made in Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), has wreaked negative repercussions upon women in general but especially victims of intimate partner violence. The authors explain why Dobbs is so detrimental to IPV survivors; in their words, “Reproductive autonomy is pivotal for women experiencing physical and sexual abuse.” One of the worst predicaments in which a woman can find herself is bearing a child with an abuser, who is prone to using his role as co-parent to exert power and control over her. This incisive piece explains the intricate link between abortion’s legality and the protection of women from psychological, physical and sexual abuse—a campaign that, as a result of Dobbs, has become considerably more difficult to wage.

Keywords: Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization; Reproductive Coercion and Abuse; Impact on Service and Medical Providers; IPV and the Criminalization of Reproductive Healthcare

Affiliations:  1: Nevada State College; 2: California State University, Northridge.