Health Care and Domestic Violence

What does your health care provider do to help end domestic violence?

• 31% of American women report being physically or sexually abused by their husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives.
• rates of abuse among adolescents and within Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender communities are also staggering.
• 1,320 women were murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in 1998, more than 3 women every day.

Victims of abuse see their health care provider for routine care or to treat injuries from incidents of abuse. The majority of these victims never reach out to police or domestic violence programs. Many experts say that properly trained health care providers are in a unique position to help battered victims and their children. Major professional organizations like the American Medical Association recommend routine screening for partner abuse. Yet, a study published by JAMA in 1999 found that less than 10% of primary care physicians screen patients during office visits.