10/14/2026
Today is Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day.
When we talk about domestic violence, the conversation often centers on the moment of harm itself. But for survivors, the effects of abuse don't end when the immediate danger passes. They can live in the body for years, sometimes for a lifetime.
The health consequences of domestic violence are wide-ranging, often invisible, and frequently disconnected from their true cause in both survivors' and providers' minds.
For example, domestic violence has been connected to a wide range of physical health conditions, including asthma, chronic pain, gastrointestinal problems, cardiovascular issues, disordered eating, sleep problems, and brain injury. Anxiety, depression, panic attacks, memory loss, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use are frequently reported by survivors.
These conditions are often treated separately from the abuse that contributed to or caused them, which can mean survivors receive care that addresses symptoms without ever getting at the root cause.
Healthcare settings can be a turning point for survivors. Providers can help support survivors by:
▪️ Talking with all patients about healthy and unhealthy relationships and the health effects of violence, regardless of whether abuse has been disclosed
▪️ Making trauma-informed information and tools visible and accessible for both patients and staff
▪️ Walking patients through each step of a physical exam and asking permission before proceeding
▪️ Working with administration to host regular trauma-informed training and to build trauma-informed policies where they don't already exist
▪️ Working with administration to host regular trauma-informed training and to build trauma-informed policies where they don't already exist
▪️ Ensuring patients have private time with their provider, without a partner present, at some point during a visit
▪️ Factoring a patient's experience of violence into treatment and care planning, including reproductive health
▪️ Partnering with local survivor advocacy organizations for training and referrals
