Healthcare Content Topic Results

The Intersections Between Intimate Partner Violence and HIV/AIDS

ckeene — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 18:24:19 +0000

The Intersections Between Intimate Partner Violence and HIV/AIDS ckeene Wed, 08/10/2016 - 14:24

Published

September 01, 2015

Author(s)

Intimate partner violence and HIV/AIDS have devastating impacts on individuals and communities at large. They also have strong correlations, putting survivors of domestic violence at increased risk for contracting HIV/AIDS. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women experiencing intimate partner violence have four times the risk of contracting STIs including HIV, than women not experiencing domestic violence. Studies suggest that intimate partner violence can be both a risk factor for HIV, and a consequence of HIV (Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Despite a broader understanding of HIV/AIDS, increased research, and greater access to prevention services, the proportion of AIDS diagnoses reported among women has more than tripled since 1985. Persistent gender inequality, ableism, gender based violence and homophobia create barriers for women, people with disabilities and LGBTQ individuals in preventing HIV and receiving care after a diagnosis.

Additionally, due to social, cultural and economic factors, women of color, and specifically Black/African-American women, bear the burden of both HIV and intimate partner violence. African American women constituted 64% of all women diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 2010 and are 14 times more likely to die from AIDS-related complications than white women with HIV/AIDS (AmFAR, 2015). African-American women have an HIV prevalence rate nearly four times that of white women in the United States. African American females also experience intimate partner violence at a rate 35% higher than that of white females, and about 2.5 times the rate of women of other races (US Department of Justice, 2001).

At the intersection of HIV/AIDS and intimate partner violence is sexual violence. Abusers commonly use sexual abuse and coercion to control the sexual, physical and reproductive rights of their partners. This increases the risk of HIV through forced sex, restricting access to condoms, and denying victims access to healthcare.

This Special Collection is designed to assist domestic violence advocates in providing support and resources to victims of domestic violence who are also living with HIV/AIDS or at risk of contracting HIV due to violence in the context of their relationship. This collection contains resources to help advocates and service providers understand HIV/AIDS and its connection to intimate partner violence, and provides resources to help expand program capacity to serve victims living with HIV/AIDS.

This collection may use the term victim and survivor interchangeably to talk about a person who is experiencing or has experienced intimate partner violence. We recognize different communities and individuals may identify with one term over another, or some other term altogether. Additionally, this collection may use the terms domestic violence and intimate partner violence interchangeably to refer to violence happening within the context of a current or past intimate or romantic relationship.

This collection uses resources freely available on the Internet, citing and utilizing work and tools from many different partners, agencies, and government entities. Our hope is that this collection creates a simplified, one-stop compilation of the newest and most relevant information available on the subject. We intend to update this special collection regularly and add new documents, resources and information as it becomes available. We welcome your comments, suggestions, and information about documents for this special collection.

Special thanks to Alicia Gill for her work on this collection, and to our partners who provided input to the content: National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence, National Network to End Domestic Violence, Virginia Anti-Violence Project, Fan Free Clinic, and Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Traumatic Brain Injury and Domestic Violence: Understanding the Intersections

ckeene — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 22:46:03 +0000

Traumatic Brain Injury and Domestic Violence: Understanding the Intersections ckeene Thu, 08/11/2016 - 18:46

Published

June 01, 2014

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as a specific type of damage to the brain that is caused by external physical force and is not present at birth or degenerative. A blow (or blows) to the head, shaking of the brain, loss of oxygen (anoxia), colliding with a stationary object and exposure to blasts can cause a TBI. Based on this definition, the use of physical force by an intimate partner during incidents of domestic violence can cause traumatic brain injury as abusive partners often cause injury to a victim’s head, neck (including strangulation), and face. In one study, 30% of domestic violence survivors reported a loss of consciousness at least once and 67% reported residual problems that were potentially head-injury related (Corrigan, Wolfe, Mysiw, Jackson & Bogner, 2003).

However, TBI often goes undiagnosed amongst domestic violence survivors. One reason for this is that domestic violence survivors, who also have a TBI, may exhibit symptoms that could resemble those of a mental illness, such as depression, anxiety, tension and/or inability to adapt to changing situations. Additionally, DV/TBI survivors may appear to have behavioral issues, including problems with keeping appointments, following through, or completing tasks that require multiple steps.

Anecdotal information from survivors and advocates indicates that victims with TBI are often questioned in regards to their ability to parent. At a training for domestic violence advocates, a TBI survivor as a result of domestic violence shared how she would forget to pick up her daughter from school, which prompted a call to the Child Protective Services agency in her area. Others have talked about the difficulties they experienced while living in congregate settings where following rules was, at times, problematic. These kinds of behaviors are often not intentional and survivors may even appear to be uncooperative and oppositional. However, it is important to keep in mind that many of these perceived behaviors might be directly related to the TBI. Therefore, it is crucial for domestic violence service providers and health care professionals to understand the prevalence and effects of TBI within the context of domestic violence.

This Special Collection offers information about the intersection between domestic violence and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). It provides advocates and other professionals with tools to screen for TBI within the context of domestic violence as well as presentations, articles, and other relevant resources on the topic.

The purpose of this collection is to: 1) increase knowledge and understanding of TBI within the context of domestic violence, 2) provide tools to advocates and other professionals to screen domestic violence survivors for TBI, and 3) highlight best practices.

The NRCDV provides a wide range of free, comprehensive, and individualized technical assistance, training, and specialized resource materials and projects designed to enhance current intervention and prevention strategies. To suggest additional resources we should include in this collection or for ongoing technical assistance and other resources, please contact the NRCDV Technical Assistance Team.

Domestic Violence and Health Care

ckeene — Tue, 09 Aug 2016 19:11:19 +0000

Domestic Violence and Health Care ckeene Tue, 08/09/2016 - 15:11

Published

January 01, 2013

Health care settings provide an immense opportunity for health care providers to address the problem of domestic violence. Patients who are at risk of abuse, who are being abused, or have been abused are likely to seek services for regular health care, injuries, or chronic health problems related to abuse. In addition, patients who use violence against their partners are also likely to seek health services. This provides opportunities for health care providers to prevent or respond to domestic violence by identifying patients who are using violence or being abused, documenting abuse, guiding patients affected by domestic violence in safety planning, and making referrals to advocates. Health care providers are also in a unique position to engage in primary prevention. This can be done by disseminating information about domestic violence through on-going dialogue with patients about healthy relationships or by educating against domestic violence through posters, pamphlets, and brochures.

This special collection on health care and domestic violence draws heavily from the work of the Futures Without Violence National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence. The resources included in this special collection are organized into the following five areas: 1) the impact of domestic violence on health; 2) public health approaches to domestic violence prevention; 3) guidelines and issues concerning identification and intervention by health care providers; 4) information about collaboration between health care providers and domestic violence advocates; and 5) training. This special collection also includes a bibliography of related journal articles. For information on federal regulations, state statutes and policies relevant to addressing domestic violence in health care settings, including information on mandatory reporting laws, please visit the website of the National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence.

This collection was developed by staff of the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse in consultation with the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence.

Supporting Black Maternal Vitality & Resiliency at the Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), COVID-19, and Historical Trauma: Key Findings and Strategies

ckeene — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 13:58:39 +0000

Supporting Black Maternal Vitality & Resiliency at the Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), COVID-19, and Historical Trauma: Key Findings and Strategies ckeene Wed, 08/13/2025 - 09:58

General Material

NRCDV Publications

Published Date

June, 2025

Publisher(s)

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

Author(s)

Cassandra Aho

The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence facilitated a series of regional convenings bringing together survivors, healthcare providers, advocates, grassroots organizers, and other professionals to explore the intersections of intimate partner violence, historical trauma, and COVID-19 and their impact on Black maternal health.

Participants identified critical areas needing improvement and developed innovative, community-driven strategies, highlighting the need for multidisciplinary training, supporting unique needs of survivors, improved cross-sector collaboration, and community resource hubs addressing barriers in accessing care.

This report captures the resulting key findings, critical areas for improvement, and promising practices to promote Black maternal vitality and narrow gaps in services for Black pregnant and birthing survivors across the United States.

Associated Files

Attachment	Size
Supporting Black Maternal Vitality & Resiliency	5.39 MB

Material Categories

Collaboration / Bridge Building

Cultural Competence

Trauma Informed Approach

Healthcare

Health / Public Health

Race

Resilience / Healing

ARP Series: What do advocates need to know about the connections between missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW), gender-based violence, and COVID-19?

berdman — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 17:46:44 +0000

ARP Series: What do advocates need to know about the connections between missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW), gender-based violence, and COVID-19? berdman Mon, 03/17/2025 - 13:46

General Material

NRCDV Publications

Published Date

November, 2024

Publisher(s)

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

Author(s)

Kara Cook

This Technical Assistance Question (TAQ) explores the prevalence of gender-based violence among Native women, COVID-19's impact on the Indigenous population, and how they connect to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit movement.

See more TAQs on the VAWnet News Blog.

Associated Links

ARP Series: What do advocates need to know about the connections between missin…

Material Categories

Health / Public Health

Homicide / Lethality

Sexual Violence

Fact Sheet: Trauma-Informed Environments for Young People

ckeene — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 20:18:19 +0000

Fact Sheet: Trauma-Informed Environments for Young People ckeene Thu, 11/14/2024 - 15:18

General Material

NRCDV Publications

Published Date

November, 2024

New Resources Added

November 14, 2024

Publisher(s)

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

Author(s)

Casey Keene

This fact sheet accompanies the Special Collection of the same name, offering statistics and tips for creating trauma-informed environments for children and youth where they live, play, and grow.

Associated Links

Special Collection: Trauma-Informed Environments for Young People

Associated Files

Attachment	Size
Fact Sheet: Trauma-Informed Environments for Young People	992.93 KB

Material Categories

Cultural Competence

Trauma Informed Approach

WEBINAR: Self-Managed Abortion, Domestic Violence, and the Law

ckeene — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 15:26:17 +0000

WEBINAR: Self-Managed Abortion, Domestic Violence, and the Law ckeene Wed, 08/28/2024 - 11:26

General Material

NRCDV Publications

Training Tools

Published Date

August, 2024

New Resources Added

August 29, 2024

Publisher(s)

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

Author(s)

Lauren Paulk

Rebecca Wang

Low

The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence partnered with Provide and If/When/How to shed light on reproductive coercion and survivors’ reproductive health needs. This training was been designed specifically for those of you who provide direct services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. This 2-hour training will address questions you may have about the intersection of SMA care and your work to support victims and survivors of gender-based violence.

This training covers what self-managed abortion is and isn’t, the impact of criminalization of pregnant people and their families, and the difference between giving legal advice and information. Trainers also clarify that there is no requirement presently in any state to report someone who is self-managing their abortion. With the ever-changing legal landscape around abortion, and diminishing access to in-clinic abortion services, knowing how to support people who are considering self-managed abortion will become increasingly important.

About Our Partners:

Provide offers free training and technical assistance to help health and social service organizations compassionately and proactively respond to their community’s needs around abortion care and other stigmatized services. | https://providecare.org/
If/When/How is a group of "lawyers and advocates who believe that everyone should be able to determine if, when, and how to build their families without barriers or punishment." | https://ifwhenhow.org/

Associated Links

TAQ: How can gender-based violence organizations best respond to essential heal…

Spanish Recording

English Recording

Associated Files

Attachment	Size
Presentation Slides	10.13 MB

Material Categories

Coordinated Community Response

Counseling & Crisis Intervention

Nontraditional Programming

Trauma Informed Approach

Healthcare

Reproductive Justice

Domestic Violence

Health / Public Health

Sexual Health / Literacy

Sexual Violence

Health Equity Prevents Gender-Based Violence: Everyone deserves the opportunity to experience optimal health and well-being!

ckeene — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 17:12:05 +0000

Health Equity Prevents Gender-Based Violence: Everyone deserves the opportunity to experience optimal health and well-being! ckeene Wed, 08/28/2024 - 13:12

General Material

NRCDV Publications

Published Date

August, 2024

New Resources Added

August 28, 2024

Publisher(s)

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

Author(s)

Casey Keene

This graphic illustration tells the story of how health equity is connected to preventing gender-based violence, and describes meaningful ways to advance these shared goals through collaboration. This resource utilizes NRCDV’s Storytelling Framework to make the case for advancing wellness through an anti-oppression lens.

Drawing on the experiences and lessons learned from advocates leading impactful social change efforts across the country, this story was designed as a tool for building partnerships with those poised to engage with the gender-based violence movement. It is intended for use with adjacent sectors and potential allies working on intersecting issues to enhance buy-in and collaboration.

This resource was developed by the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence in partnership with the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Michigan Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence, Ohio Domestic Violence Network, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence, to whom the quotes within are attributed.

Associated Links

PreventIPV Website

Associated Files

Attachment	Size
Health Equity Story - Spanish	25.09 MB
Health Equity Story - English	24.72 MB

Material Categories

Collaboration / Bridge Building

Community Organizing / Mobilization / Engagement

Coordinated Community Response

Movement Building

Raising Awareness

Prevention Programming

Health / Public Health

Mental Health

Race

Sexual Health / Literacy

How can domestic and sexual violence organizations best respond to essential health care needs of survivors?

berdman — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 17:35:51 +0000

How can domestic and sexual violence organizations best respond to essential health care needs of survivors? berdman Mon, 03/17/2025 - 13:35

General Material

NRCDV Publications

Published Date

August, 2024

Publisher(s)

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

Author(s)

Ondine Quinn

Abortion is essential health care. In this Technical Assistance Question of the Month (TAQ), Ondine Quinn, Senior Director of Programs at Provide, Inc., discusses who are the most impacted by abortion bans and restrictions and how people are being criminalized for abortions. A definition of Self-Managed Abortion (SMA) is provided, shedding light on why abortion access matter for survivors of gender-based violence. The author also offers recommendations for advocates working with people who choose self-managed abortion.

See more TAQs on the VAWnet News Blog.

Associated Links

How can domestic and sexual violence organizations best respond to essential he…

Material Categories

Health / Public Health

Sexual Health / Literacy

Sexual Violence

Reproductive Coercion and Abuse Report

berdman — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 14:54:24 +0000

Reproductive Coercion and Abuse Report berdman Tue, 06/04/2024 - 10:54

General Material

Published Date

June, 2024

Publisher(s)

National Domestic Violence Hotline

If/When/How

Between October and December 2023, the National Domestic Violence Hotline (The Hotline) conducted a survey to learn about survivor experiences with reproductive coercion and abuse. The survey, conducted on The Hotline’s website, collected qualitative and quantitative data.

This report details findings from the survey. It provides deeper insights on these experiences as states across the country continue to restrict abortion access and two cases on the U.S. Supreme Court’s docket threaten to further limit reproductive autonomy.

Associated Links

Reproductive Coercion and Abuse Report

Material Categories

Health / Public Health

Sexual Health / Literacy

Sexual Violence