Black women are at a heightened risk of domestic violence during pregnancy, which has local advocates and health leaders coming together to promote awareness.
According to a 2022 study by Harvard University, homicide is the leading cause of death for women who are pregnant, with higher risk among Black mothers.
More work must be done to bridge the space from hospital care to social advocacy agencies, says Dr. J’Leise Sosa, an obstetrician-gynecologist with Kaleida Health.
“Too often, as a physician, when I see a patient, I know that the (Family Justice Center) is available, I know that the (Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network) is available, but we have this big gap between how we get that patient from the office to the care that she needs," she said. "Many times, she has to think about her other children, how she's going to provide for them.”
Medical providers must cultivate relationships with patients to be able to spot signs of partner abuse, and so pregnant women will be more comfortable opening up when experiencing abuse, Sosa said.
Another important factor to consider is that physical signs of abuse won't always appear visually, Family Justice Center CEO Catharine Miles-Kania said. That increases the importance of resources like FJC's forensic medical unit, which can use a forensic camera to capture signs of abuse that might be below the skin's surface.
"This is particularly important for areas of equity, people who have darker skin, people who do not actually show injuries as easily as somebody with lighter skin," she said. "This camera is allowed to really cut through all of that, all of that evidence, to be able to highlight exactly what happened to this particular individual."
