Adolescent Pregnancy and Homicide: Findings From the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, 1994-1998

Homicide has remained the third leading cause of death among girls aged 10 to 19 for more than a decade. Recent research indicates that pregnant or postpartum teens are three times more likely to be victims of homicide compared to their nonpregnant counterparts. These findings portray a compelling picture that leads the authors to investigate the relationship between homicide and pregnancy among teens in Maryland. The purpose of this study is to compare women whose deaths had been evaluated by the medical examiner and who had evidence of pregnancy to women without evidence of pregnancy, with a particular focus on adolescents; 329 (17.7%) adults and 66 (32.7%) adolescents were victims of homicide. Adolescent homicide victims were 3.7 (1.2 to 11.8) times more likely to be pregnant compared to adult homicide victims. The rate of homicide was nearly double in all women who were pregnant. Further research is necessary to evaluate factors associated with these risks so that the future generation and society are protected.