"Throughout their lifetimes, one out of four women and one out of 10 men will experience some form of intimate partner violence, including rape, physical abuse and stalking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence survey from 2010, the latest year with available data.
How doctors and nurses should screen patients for such intimate partner violence is the subject of updated recommendations issued Tuesday by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The best estimates likely under-represent the true scope and scale of intimate partner violence because victims often are afraid to disclose what has happened to them. Roughly two-thirds of women who have been abused said they remained fearful and concerned for their safety after the abuse, the CDC reported, and half of these women said they developed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, which can cause further physical health consequences.
Under the latest guidelines, physicians would ask women of reproductive age during appointments if they have experienced violence at the hands of someone they know. Women who indicate they have would then be referred for further services, such as counseling or home visits.
These recommendations bolster a set of guidelines initially released in 2013. Guidelines are reviewed every five years to adapt standing practices to new evidence."
