Prevalence of violence and its implications for women's health

This study estimates the lifetime prevalence of violent experiences and the ir relationship to health and the use of health services in U.S. women aged 18-64 years. The Commonwealth Fund's 1998 Survey of Women's Health provide s a nationally representative sample. Use of weighted data allows projectio ns to be made to the U.S. population. Over four of ten women in the U.S. ar e likely to have experienced one or more forms of violence, including child abuse (17.8%), physical assault (19.1%), rape (20.4%), and intimate partne r violence (34.6%). In multivariate logistic regression models that control for sociodemographic characteristics, vioience-particularly intimate sexua l violence-is significantly related to poorer physical and mental health an d increased problems with access to medical care. Only one-third of women w ho experience violence have discussed it with a physician. Health care prof essionals need to initiate the conversation about violence and offer referr als for needed services.