Preventative health screening is not always about a blood test or a look at your skin. Sometimes your ‘check up’ might include questions about psychological health, memory or issues about habits. Approximately 27% of women and 11% of men in the U.S. have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner and reported at least one measured impact related to these or other forms of violence in that relationship. In general, victims of repeated violence over time experience more serious consequences than victims of one-time incidents. A recent recommendation from the US Preventative Services Task Force is that Doctors be aware of the problem and ask all women of child bearing age about intimate partner violence. The recommendation was made because the outcomes from discovering an issue lead to support and a positive outcome. If you are experiencing intimate partner violence there is help available. Talk in confidence with your Doctor.
