Futures Without Violence

Among the causes of the high U.S. unplanned pregnancy rate is reproductive and sexual coercion. This grant would support the continued work of the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) to better understand the role of coercion in unplanned pregnancy as well as how to reduce its incidence. Established in 1980, FVPF works with a wide range of constituencies and has been effective in working with both the reproductive health and the domestic violence communities around the intersection of coercion and unintended pregnancy. During the prior grant period they documented the extent of reproductive coercion experienced by typical family planning clinic clients and evaluated an intervention that proved successful at helping half of these clients reduce the coercion. In the next phase they will work to ensure that policies relating to unintended pregnancy prevention incorporate an understanding of the relationship of sexual and reproductive coercion and potential interventions.

In recent years, research has shown that the prevalence of reproductive and sexual coercion is significantly higher than many assume and is linked to unintended pregnancy. This grant would continue support to Futures Without Violence, formerly known as the Family Violence Prevention Fund, to better understand the role of reproductive and sexual coercion, particularly as it relates to rates of unintended pregnancy, and to disseminate information on effective interventions.