VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN - THE PHYSICIANS ROLE

Violence against women is one reflection of the unequal power relation ship between men and women in societies. Reflections of this inequalit y include marriage at a very young age, lack of information or choice about fertility control and forced pregnancy within marriage. The diff erent forms of violence against women are: domestic violence and rape, genital mutilation or, gender-based violence by police and security f orces, gender-based violence against women during armed conflict, gend er-based violence against women refugees and asylum-seekers, violence associated with prostitution and pornography, violence in the workplac e, including sexual harassment. Violence against women is condemned, w hether it occurs in a societal setting or a domestic setting. It is no t a private or family matter. The FIGO Committee for the Study of Ethi cal Aspects of Human Reproduction released statements to physicians tr eating women on this issue. Physicians are ethically obliged to inform themselves about the manifestations of violence and recognize cases, to treat the physical and psychological results of violence, to affirm to their patients that violent acts toward them are not acceptable an d to advocate for social infrastructures to provide women the choice o f seeking secure refuge and ongoing counselling. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sci ence Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.