During the past fifteen years, there has been a growing recognition among health care professionals that domestic violence (DV), also known as intimate partner violence (IPV) is a highly prevalent public health problem with devastating effects on individuals, families and communities. Most Americans are seen at some point by a health care provider, and the health care setting offers a critical opportunity for early identification and even the primary prevention of abuse. Studies show that assessing for IPV in medical settings has been effective in identifying women who are victims 1 and that patients are not offended when asked about current or past IPV. 2 A host of professional health care.
