Unwanted pregnancies are always stressful, more so if it was actually orchestrated by a harmful partner. In the case of one woman from Illinois, her life turned upside down, and her relationship was ruined after she found out that her boyfriend had covertly swapped her birth control pills with placebo sugar pills. It immediately led to her pregnancy and a rather rough entanglement that likely needs legal intervention.
The complaint came from 22-year-old Reddit user ThrowRA7777888, who posted on Reddit seeking advice on what to do. For reference, the Reddit user has been having recent relationship problems with her boyfriend, who is also 22. Her boyfriend’s mother, however, suggested that having a baby might fix their problem, something the Reddit user was averse to since she “Can’t in good conscience bring a child into this environment. Or the world in its current state. It’s just hard to think about. I’m scared, and I still feel guilty.”
Her boyfriend, however, being what she described as a “momma’s boy,” actually hatched a plan to get her pregnant. Out of the blue, the Reddit user suddenly missed her period, and she called her boyfriend home immediately while breaking down and crying. To her surprise, the boyfriend smiled after seeing the positive pregnancy test. And after a bit of investigating, the Reddit user found a week’s worth of her birth control pills in the trash can and concluded that her boyfriend had swapped her birth control with sugar pills.
Thankfully, Reddit user ThrowRA7777888 also managed to get a confession and evidence out of his boyfriend of how he carried out the plan to forcibly impregnate her. The Reddit user also made up her mind to terminate the pregnancy and take her boyfriend to court based on the advice she gathered.
People online agree that it was sexual assault
Despite being high school friends with her boyfriend, the Reddit user is devastated by the betrayal, as people on Reddit no doubt describe what happened to her as a form of sexual assault. Some also pointed out just how dangerous the boyfriend was, given what he was willing to do to manipulate the Reddit user into staying in the relationship.
“I am not going to sugarcoat this: This is a form of sexual assault. He is trying to force you to carry a child to term, birth it and raise it, all without your consent. This is not a safe person to have in your life, nor is he safe to raise a child. Him and his mom — your description of his mom makes me think they did this together or it was her idea,” says a Reddit user
“You don’t have to be trapped for the next 18 years with a child tying you to that manipulative abuser.”
“Remove this man from your life.”
In another thread reserved for legal advice, people were also helpful with the technicalities, stating that what happened to the Reddit user was “reproductive coercion.” People were thus advising her to seek an attorney, while others have reminded her that abortions are legal in Illinois, especially in her case.
“This is called reproductive coercion. There are specific laws against this in some jurisdiction, but still might be actionable in other jurisdictions. You at least have grounds for a civil suit.”
“As a a victim of reproductive coercion I think you should consult with a qualified Illinois attorney. An attorney can help clarify potential civil claims and determine the best legal course of action. Abortions are still legal in Illinois.”
