Intimate Partner Abuse Essay

Domestic Violence is a major social and public health issue. Domestic Violence which is also known as Intimate Partner Abuse refers to the physical, sexual, and/or psychological abuse to an individual perpetrated by a current or former intimate partner; while this term is gender-neutral, women are more likely to experience physical injuries and incur psychological consequences of Intimate Partner abuse.1

Domestic violence is a multidisciplinary problem requiring coordination with the legal system (e.g., police, prosecutors, and court system), the social system (e.g., legal aid, social services, and shelters), the community at large (e.g., neighbors, families, friends, schools, and churches), and the health profession (e.g., physicians, nurses, counselors, and social workers).2

The impact of repetitive violence on an individual’s health often brings domestic violence into the medical setting. Since it is believed that the majority of medical visits related to domestic violence are not in the form of overt trauma, but present as multiple somatic complaints or stress-related illnesses, primary care physicians are in a key position to offer referral for intervention.3

of the UIC-Christ Hospital Residency in Illinois}, WAST (the Woman Abuse Screening Tool) and The Women’s Experience with Battering Scale. The American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, the American Medical Association, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists all recommend screening for domestic