Pass the Protect Moms from Domestic Violence Act

Domestic and sexual violence have damaging long-term mental health effects on both mothers and their children. About 20 percent of people who survive IPV experience new mental health disorders as a result of the abuse, including major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and a wide range of substance use disorders (SUDs).[1] Tragically, more than 50 percent of female homicide victims are killed due to some type of IPV.

Congress should pass the Protect Moms from Domestic Violence Act, which would address IPV during pregnancy by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to study maternal mortality and morbidity due to IPV, with recommendations on best practices for reducing maternal mortality due to IPV. The bill would also require the National Academy of Medicine to study whether various forms of violence increase the risk of suicide, SUDs, and drug overdose among pregnant and postpartum people. Finally, the bill would provide grants to nonprofit and community-based organizations to improve maternal and child outcomes of IPV victims.[2]