Objective: To determine the prevalence of domestic violence, childhood abuse and sexual assault experienced by women attending general practitioners.
Design: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based prevalence survey.
Setting: 15 general practices in metropolitan Melbourne between November 1993 and February 1994.
Subjects: 3026 women over the age of 18 attending for a consultation.
Results: The response rate was 72%. Over a quarter of women in relationships had been victims of physical or emotional partner abuse in the previous year, one in 10 having experienced severe physical violence. Thirteen percent of women had experienced rape or attempted rape, 10% had been severely beaten during childhood and 28% had experienced childhood sexual abuse involving physical contact. The abuse had been disclosed to the woman's doctor by only 27% of those who had experienced partner or childhood physical abuse (mostly because the doctor had never asked) and 9% of those who had experienced sexual abuse (mostly because the woman did not see it as relevant to the consultation).
Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of physical, sexual and emotional violence against women as well as poor communication about this violence to their general practitioners.
Recommendation: Medical practitioners should be more proactive in questioning women about violence.
PIP: This article concerns a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based prevalence survey that was carried out in November 1993 and February 1994 to determine the prevalence of domestic violence, childhood abuse and sexual assault experienced by women attending general practitioners in Melbourne, Australia. This study would also provide doctors accurate information on the extent of the problem. A total sample of 3026 women over the age of 18 attending a consultation was included in the study. The questionnaire asked about experiences of sexual abuse and domestic violence. Of the 3026 questionnaires distributed, only 2181 were returned giving a response rate of 72%. Over a quarter of women in relationships had been victims of physical or emotional partner abuse in the previous year, and 1 in 10 had experienced severe physical violence. The 13% of women had experienced rape or attempted rape, 10% had been severely beaten during childhood, and 28% experienced childhood sexual abuse involving physical contact. The abuse had been disclosed to the woman's doctor by only 27% of those who had experienced partner or childhood physical abuse and 9% of those who had experienced sexual abuse. This study shows that there is a high prevalence of physical, sexual and emotional violence against women as well as poor communication about this violence to their general practitioners. Furthermore, this study suggests that medical practitioners must be more proactive in questioning women about violence.