Pregnancy in the United States carries dangers that extend beyond medical complications, and firearms sit at the center of a growing maternal mortality crisis. Homicide is a leading cause of death during pregnancy and the year after childbirth, with guns most often used and intimate partners most frequently responsible. Research cited shows women are more likely to be murdered during pregnancy or shortly after than to die from hypertensive disorders, hemorrhage, or sepsis combined, underscoring how violence reshapes maternal risk.
That risk is not evenly shared. Studies examining pregnancy-associated firearm deaths reveal stark racial disparities. More than half of homicide victims were Black women, while white women accounted for the majority of firearm suicides. Deaths occurred most often during pregnancy itself, and the violence was commonly linked to ongoing intimate partner abuse. Young mothers face heightened vulnerability as well, with those under 25 experiencing some of the highest rates of intimate partner violence during and after pregnancy.
One study of young women attending OB-GYN clinics found violence rose sharply in the postpartum period, jumping from 17.9% at six months to 25.3% at one year. Researchers noted that few studies have examined how intimate partner violence shapes postpartum health, despite evidence that young women face disproportionate risk.
Professional guidance points to missed opportunities for prevention. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists warns that fatality rates increase when abusers have access to guns and notes that few physicians routinely discuss firearm risk with patients. As one policy statement emphasizes, clinicians serve a population that disproportionately experiences intimate partner violence, yet screening remains inconsistent.
Together, these findings highlight how gun violence deepens racial inequities in maternal mortality, placing Black and young women at greatest risk from preventable deaths rooted in violence rather than biology.
See: “Underreported twin health crises: Gun violence and maternal mortality” (February 26, 2025)
