Domestic violence reported by women attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic

Background: Domestic violence occurs across all social, demographic, and ec onomic strata of society, though women who report it are disproportionately young, unmarried, live with a male friend or family member other than a hu sband, engage in substance abuse, and are poor. Goal: To assess the prevalence of domestic violence among a sample of women presenting for care at a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic, and to identify behavioral and clinical correlates of domestic violence in this g roup. Study Design: Women attending an inner-city STD clinic were asked to comple te a self-administered questionnaire that ascertained demographic, clinical , and behavioral information. Questions regarding recent and lifetime physi cal and verbal abuse by a social intimate were included. Standard diagnosti c tests and therapy for a variety of genitourinary infections were provided when indicated as a matter of routine care. Results: Three hundred and seventy-five female clinic attendees completed t he questionnaire. One hundred and forty one (37.6%) women reported ever hav ing experienced physical assault by an intimate, and 123 (32.8%) reported v erbal threats of violence. Fifty-eight (15.5%) women reported at least one episode of physical abuse in the year preceding participation. A report of physical violence was associated with drug use, STD history, and a history of a serious medical condition (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The high prevalence of domestic violence among women seeking ca re at an inner-city STD clinic suggests that these sites may be important f or the detection of abuse victims. Clinic staff should be trained to inquir e about domestic violence. On-site or referred resources (e.g., legal, soci al, clinical) should be made available to these women.