Domestic violence as a women’s health issue—panel discussion: Intimate partner violence: issues for the health care system

Abstract

Significant proportions of women in all health care settings have been “battered” which can be defined as physical and/or sexual assault by a current or former intimate partner. There is mounting evidence that intimate partner violence (IPV) has long-term negative health consequences for survivors even after the abuse has ended. Lower health status lower quality of life and higher utilization of health services by battered women have all been documented. In response to this growing body of evidence official health care professional organizations have increasingly recognized IPV as a health care problem and have called for clinical interventions and institutional changes to provide better care for abused women. This paper addresses two of the issues that continue to engender debate among health care professionals routine screening and mandatory reporting using data from three major studies that have been recently completed. (excerpt)