Clinical agreement with self-report of physical violence and torture in women seeking asylum in France

Abstract

Women are a particularly vulnerable group among persons seeking asylum but are still required to provide clinical evidence of acts of violence inflicted against them. In this study the authors describe patient histories, dermatological lesions and other injuries arising from physical violence and torture in female asylum-seekers attending a specialist outpatient service in France. Twenty-seven women were assessed during 2016-2018. Clinical corroboration of lesions with patients' self-reports was affirmative in >90% (25/27) of cases. Health care services in recipient countries must be configured and resourced to support women seeking asylum, and health care professionals must be receptive and sensitive to women's self-reported histories.