The research letter, published by JAMA Internal Medicine, estimated that nearly 520,000 rapes were associated with 64,565 pregnancies across 14 states.
More than 64,000 women and girls became pregnant because of rape in states that implemented abortion bans after Roe v. Wade was overruled, according to a new research estimate published online Wednesday.
The research letter, published by JAMA Internal Medicine and headed up by the medical director at Planned Parenthood of Montana, estimated that nearly 520,000 rapes were associated with 64,565 pregnancies across 14 states, most of which had no exceptions that allowed for terminations of pregnancies that occurred as a result of rape.
Texas topped the list, with 45% of the rape-related pregnancies occurring within the state, researchers estimated. Ninety-one percent of the estimated rape-related pregnancies took place in states without exceptions for rape, according to the researchers.
“Few (if any)” of the women and girls who became pregnant because of rape “obtained in-state abortions legally, suggesting that rape exceptions fail to provide reasonable access to abortion for survivors,” the research letter said.
I was hoping I was, in my sleep deprived state, put the decimal point wrong or something, because these numbers are horrifying, and yet it’s not discussed as often as other issues which are far less urgent. Before seeing this post, I would have assumed it was an order of magnitude less common, and even then it would have been too much.
Now try the math again, but per gender… I didn’t try it but I suspect a bigger number for one of them.
The numbers are harder to pin down for men. There’s a lower likelihood of reporting for one. But there’s also the fact that a lot of men don’t even realize they’ve been raped, thinking “Dude I got laid last night? Sweet.”
Even the CDC does a terrible job of reporting the numbers in my opinion. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 26 men experience attempted or completed rape. But 1 in 9 men were “made to penetrate someone” which insinuates against their will, which imho is again rape.
There’s also a problem of legal language. In many states, it’s just impossible for a man to be raped. And when it is possible, it often doesn’t include “made to penetrate” (aka forced sexual contact) as rape.
I looked it up, and saw some source saying 91% female and 9% male, but their source is really old (I can’t take it and use the numbers from 2018 with it), and I’m pretty sure there are a lot more men who don’t report it because of cultural garbage. I would expect it to be between 65% to 80% women victims… But my hunch might be way off…
I do remember reading that the group at the highest risk being transgender people, but I don’t remember any numbers.
I’m sure if I dig deeper I’ll find better data, but I’m on my phone…