Seizing an Opportunity to Help—Knowledge and Attitudes of Doctors and Nurses Toward Women Victimized by Intimate Partner Violence in Brazil

Abstract

In this study we combined quantitative (questionnaire survey of 221 health care professionals [HCPs]) and qualitative (interviews with 14 doctors) methods to explore knowledge and attitudes toward health service assistance for women victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Data were collected in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, in 2007. We found that most HCPs presented good knowledge of definitions of gender violence, but they had low awareness of its local prevalence, sympathetic attitudes to such women, but highlighted a range of barriers to assisting them. We analyzed these findings in relation to sex, age, profession, and years of experience.

Acknowledgments

We are very grateful for the collaboration of Fernanda Garbelini De Ferrante, who administered the qualitative interviews to the doctors, and for all students and teachers of the Article Club who helped us with the literature review.

Notes

Such training should accordingly include the wide range of topics such as violence against women and human rights; information on the prevalence of IPV; theoretical notions used in the understanding of violence and gender issues; ethical and legal aspects of the assistance of women living in a violent situation; how to facilitate the revelation of such violence; how to directly ask the patient appropriate questions when the HCP suspects violence; health problems related to chronic violence; counseling about women's rights; risk assessment; the compulsory register of violence (Brazilian legal requirement); to provide addresses of other organizations such as police, legal advisors, and social workers who deal with the problem; scheduling follow-up visits to the clinic to help HCPs to assess the ongoing risk; the need to avoid prescription of medication such as tranquilizers in order to preserve women's capacity of escape in case of risk; referral of the case to psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, as just one component; risks attendant in inviting the intimate partner to the clinic or any other kind of revelation of the case.