Women having abortions much more likely to be abused

A study has found that half of the women having abortions at a Waikato abortion clinic in 2001 had been physically or sexually abused.

Thirteen per cent said they had been physically abused, and 8.5 per cent sexually abused, in the 12 months before they were interviewed. The rest were abused further in the past.

However, only one out of the 62 women interviewed said her pregnancy was the result of sexual abuse.

The study, by Dr Anna Whitehead of the Waikato District Health Board and Dr Janet Fanslow of Auckland University, found that women having abortions were much more likely than other women to have been abused, both in the previous year and during their lifetime.

A larger study by Dr Fanslow and Elizabeth Robinson of 2855 women in the general population last year found that 39 per cent of women in the Waikato, and 33 per cent in Auckland, had been physically or sexually abused. Only 5 per cent in both samples had been abused in the previous 12 months.

"Abuse" was defined in the larger study by a list of actions ranging from being pushed, shoved or having their hair pulled up to being threatened with a weapon or raped.

In the abortion clinic study, women were asked: "Have you been hit, slapped or otherwise physically hurt by someone?" and "Have you been pressured or forced to have sex?"

Two-thirds of the women having abortions were under age 25 and two-thirds were non-Maori. Three out of five were in a relationship when they had the abortion.

The study, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, found that 26 out of the 62 women had been physically abused - 18 by their current partner or the person they fell pregnant to, and 11 by a family member. (Four women were abused by more than one person).

The survey did not confirm overseas studies that abuse of pregnant women is specially common. Only three of the 26 women who had been abused said they were abused while they were pregnant.

Dr Whitehead and Dr Fanslow concluded that women seeking abortions in New Zealand should be asked about family violence because they might need help.

"Health professionals must be well trained in issues including cultural competency, increasing safety and respecting autonomy of abused women, and issues related to abused children," they said.

"Health professionals should also have established working relationships and referral pathways with local family violence agencies."