Sexual violence and unintended pregnancy in women with disabilities: An intersectional, cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Objective: To describe risk of unintended pregnancy among women with previous history of sexual violence by disability and race/ethnicity.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the 2011-2017 National Survey of Family Growth, a U.S. nationally representative survey. We classified women 18-44 years by combining disability status and racial/ethnic background and selected all pregnancies that occurred after a reported exposure to sexual violence. We used unadjusted and adjusted logistic regressions to examine differences in unintended pregnancy. All analyses were conducted in 2024 and 2025 using Stata 18 MP.

Results: Amongst women with lifetime experience of sexual violence, pregnancies to disabled White (OR=1.35, p<0.05), Black (OR=2.94, p<0.001), or Hispanic (OR=1.81, p<0.01) women were more likely to be unintended than to nondisabled White women. Adjustment for sociodemographic covariates did not attenuate disparities, nor did further adjustment for risky prenatal health behaviors.

Conclusions: Targeted efforts are needed to address the prevalence and consequences of sexual violence, including unintended pregnancy. Existing research finds that unintended pregnancies are associated with adverse health behaviors and outcomes. These findings thus underscore the importance of accessible services for racial/ethnic minority women with disabilities.