Barriers to screening for intimate partner violence

About 10 million men and women in the United States are subjected to intimate partner violence (IPV) each year, making this a serious but preventable public health issue. Although over half of these individuals suffered injury, just 34% sought medical care. Even when faced with a patient ’s obviously inflicted injuries, few medical professionals routinely screen for IPV. In fact, screening for IPV is the least common and most difficult practice among primary and prenatal care providers because these professionals feel uncomfortable with the topic, lack resources, or, among male pr oviders, believe that patients are more comfortable discussing IPV with a female provider.
Source: Dental Abstracts - Category: Dentistry Tags: The Big Picture Source Type: research