Forced Intercourse in America: A Pandemic Update
William Axinn1, Brady West2, Heather Schroeder1
1University of Michigan, 2University of Michigan—Ann Arbor

We estimated national rates of forced intercourse—including population estimates collected during the COVID-19 pandemic—using measures from the National Survey of Family Growth, the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Transition into Adulthood Supplement, and the American Family Health Study. Results show forced intercourse among women remained high during the pandemic, and increased significantly among women in their twenties. Differences in reporting forced intercourse between those who completed four or more years of college and those who did not also rose sharply during the pandemic. Those who did not complete four or more years of college are now twice as likely to report forced intercourse by ages 24-28. Despite declining rates of sexual activity during the beginning of the pandemic, forced intercourse among women remained high, increasing significantly in early adulthood. Exposure to forced intercourse is likely to produce an increase in unintended pregnancies and other sexual, reproductive, and mental health problems.