The number of pregnant women that face domestic abuse
According to the NYS Pram Survey (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring Survey) asking 2,636 women if they were pushed, hit, slapped, kicked, choked or otherwise hurt during the 12 months prior to pregnancy, 3.3% responded yes (4.3% of non-Hispanic blacks) or 4.5% excluding NYC (6.3% non-Hispanic blacks). Asking the same question to the same respondents about physical abuse during pregnancy, the percentages only drop slightly: 2.5% reported yes (2.9% among non-Hispanic blacks) or 3.4% excluding NYC (3.9% non-Hispanic blacks).
According to the June 2010 Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology article Intimate Partner Homicide Among Pregnant and Post -Partum Women by Dr. Diana Chen and Isabelle Horton, PhD, homicide is the number one cause of death among pregnant women and 1st year postpartum women. Women under 25, African American women and unmarried women are at a higher risk. These deaths most often happen within the first trimester. The most common method is firearms.
In addition, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violent Death Reporting System (2011) reports that 3 out of every 100,000 pregnant women have cause of death as homicide. Again, unmarried, women under 25 and black women have a higher risk.
These statistics justify the visual and message on the billboard. In addition, the image on the billboard projects a positive image that reflects love and compassion. Plus it is captivating and emotional.
