Pregnant Patients – Texas Evidence Collection Protocol

Pregnant patients who are sexually assaulted by intimate partners might also be survivors of interpersonal violence.
Possible indicators of IPV in pregnancy may include a history of (Bohn, Tebben, & Campbell, 2004):
- Prior medical visits for injuries.
- Abuse or assault.
- Repeated visits beyond well-woman pregnancy visits.
- Depression, substance use, anxiety and suicide attempts.
- Unintended pregnancy, or unhappy about current pregnancy.
- Young mother.
- Low education level.
- Single.
- Delayed prenatal care or missed appointments.
- Flat affect.
- Poor eye contact.
- PTSD symptoms.
Risk factors for IPV and sexual assault in pregnancy:
- While IPV is found across all socioeconomic status levels, it is identified at higher rates when associated with:
  - Poverty (Bohn et al., 2004),
  - Lower education levels (Bohn et al., 2004),
  - Women of minority,
  - Joblessness,
  - Drug or alcohol abuse of mother or partner, and/or
  - Stress.
Statewide intake (via DFPS) “cannot recommend an investigation regarding concerns for an unborn child. The child must be born alive before DFPS has jurisdiction to intervene. Exceptions that allow reports to be taken for unborn children:
- Professional reporter (typically law enforcement, medical or casework staff) is requesting DFPS assistance, and
- Mother is expected to deliver in the next 24–48 hours” (DFPS, 2017).
Trauma in pregnancy: An updated systemic review (Mendez-Figueroa, Dahlke, Vrees, & Rouse, 2013).