Health Stu Fac

July 2006

In the News
  • The Symptoms of Trafficked Women Parallel those of Torture Victims
    • Research
  • Unwanted Sex Among Teens: More Common Than We Thought
  • Efficacy of an HIV Prevention Program Among Female Adolescents Experiencing Gender-Based Violence
  • Depression-Related Hospitalization Rates Soar Among Girls
  • Violence and the Womb: The Effects of Domestic Violence on Maternal and Fetal Health
    • Announcements
  • Family Violence Prevention Fund's 2007 National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence
  • Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day: Wednesday, October 11th
  • Violence Prevention: Promoting Health Communities: Morehouse School of Medicine
  • Train-the-Trainer: Healthcare Response to Intimate Partner Violence

    In the News

    The Symptoms of Trafficked Women Parallel those of Torture Victims

    In a recent report published by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Dr. Cathy Zimmerman and her colleges assert that the trauma faced by trafficked women is on par with that faced by victims of torture. Of women trafficked for sexual or domestic work, 95% had been physically or sexually abused and nearly 40% had suicidal thoughts. Zimmerman and her team studied 207 women from 14 countries who had been trafficked. These women, now released, were between 15-45 years old. Most were in their early 20’s, and the majority were single mothers. 60% percent experienced some form of violence before being trafficked, and 56 % reported symptoms resembling post traumatic stress disorder. Headaches, fatigue, dizzy spells, back pain, memory problems, anxiety and depression were among the most commonly reported. The International Labor Organization estimates that at least 2.5 million people around the world are forced into labor at any given time.

    For a copy of the full article please visit: file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Anita/Local%20Settings/Temp/www.lshtm.ac.uk/hpu/docs/traffickingfinal.pdf

    RESEARCH

    Unwanted Sex Among Teens: More Common Than We Thought

    In a recent study, released in the June 2006 issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Dr. Margaret J. Blythe and colleagues found that 40.9% of girls studied were coerced into unwanted sex. Unwanted sex (defined as penile intercourse) has been linked to mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression, as well as several risky behaviors: sex at a younger age, more lifetime partners, unplanned pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases. Data was collected via face-to-face interviews, conducted by Dr. Blythe and her team, over the course of three months. Among those girls who disclosed sexual coercion, the most common reason was “fear that their partner would get angry if denied sex” (37.6%). These teens, who experienced unwanted sex with a dating partner, were 4 times more likely to have a child with that partner, and twice as likely to have unprotected sex. This article, and its evidence of high rates of forced sex in a teen population, makes a case for the importance of the routine screening and counseling of teens on healthy relationships and sexual practices.

    For a copy of the full article please refer to the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 2006. Volume 160:591-595 or visit http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/

    Efficacy of an HIV Prevention Program Among Female Adolescents Experiencing Gender-Based Violence

    The efficacy of an HIV intervention program among African-American teens, who reported a history of gender-based violence, was recently evaluated. The intervention emphasized ethnic and gender pride, provided information on HIV, condom attitudes, healthy relationships, communication, and condom-use skills. Adolescents who received the intervention reported more safe sex practices including using condoms more consistently, reduced incidents of unprotected vaginal sex, an increased likelihood to use a condom during their most recent intercourse, a decreased likelihood of a new sexual partner and having a sexually transmitted disease, as well as more proficient condom practices compared to adolescents who did not receive the intervention.

    For a copy of the full article please refer to the American Journal of Public Health. June, 2006. Volume 96(6):1085-90 or visit file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Anita/Local%20Settings/Temp/www.ajph.org

    Depression-Related Hospitalization Rates Soar Among Girls

    On July 7th the CDC reported, in their Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, of a significant increase in depression-related hospitalizations of girls between the ages of 5 and 19. They also reported a halt in the once declining cigarette smoking rates (among high school students) as well as an association between felony-related crimes, intimate partner violence and mental health disorders with homicides and suicides. The article states that “Intimate partner conflicts contributed to 20% of homicides and were most frequent among victims aged 40 to 44 years.” The article went on to state that intimate partner violence is one of the leading contributing factors (27.9%) of suicide along with mental health disorders.

    For a copy of the full article please refer to the MMWR. 2006;55(26):721-744

    Violence and the Womb: The Effects of Domestic Violence on Maternal and Fetal Health

    A recent study, in the July 2006 issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, demonstrated that violence from a male partner, both one year prior and during a pregnancy, can increase a woman’s risk of serious obstetric health complications. It was shown that women who experience abuse were 40-60% more likely than non-abused women to report hypertension, vaginal bleeding, severe nausea, kidney or urinary tract infections and hospitalization during her pregnancy. These victims of domestic violence were 37% more likely to deliver preterm and 17% of their children were born underweight.

    The authors, led by Jay Silverman, propose a series of possible explanations for the correlation between intimate partner violence and maternal and infant health: “It may be that stress resulting from abuse is having a negative impact on the reproductive endocrine system and leading to poor outcomes during pregnancy,” said Silverman. “Depression, known to result from abuse, has been shown to negatively affect fetal development. Sexual assault commonly co-occurs with physical violence from male partners and may lead to both greater risk of bleeding and urinary tract infections. Also, sexually transmitted infections are significantly more common among women abused by male partners, and such infections are known to compromise health during pregnancy and fetal development. We need to conduct far more research in this area to understand the mechanisms at work, but regardless of the mechanisms, it is clear that abuse from husbands and boyfriends represents a serious risk to the health of women, their pregnancies, and their newborn children...As a society, we cannot afford to allow prevention of this grave threat to so many mothers and children to remain a low public health priority.”

    For a copy of the full article please refer to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (2006) 195, 140–8

    Announcements

    DATE HAS CHANGED! Family Violence Prevention Fund's 2007 National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence

    Now Accepting Abstracts!    
    Deadline for Abstract Submission: July 28th, 2006


    Registration Opens Online
    September 30, 2006
    Pre-conference sessions: March 15, 2007
    Conference: March 16 - March 17, 2007

    Location:
    Grand Hyatt San Francisco
    San Francisco, California, USA

    The 4th Biennial National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence aims to advance the health care system’s response to domestic violence. The conference attracts the nation’s leading medical, public health and family violence experts from across the U.S. with increased international participation. Workshops and plenary sessions highlight the latest research and most innovative clinical responses to domestic violence, with a focus on the work being done by physicians, physician assistants, dentists, nurses, nurse midwives, mental and behavioral health providers, social workers, domestic violence experts, and others.

    The Family Violence Prevention Fund is especially encouraging Health Professional Students to submit abstracts reflecting student-led research, domestic violence campus reforms, and collaborative student/advocacy programs. A pre-conference session specifically focusing on professional health students and domestic violence activism will be held on March 15, 2007. Students will receive a reduced conference registration price and are eligible for scholarships. Please contact Anna Marjavi (anna@endabuse.org p:415-252-8900) with further questions.

    To submit an abstract online click here. We strongly encourage all applicants submit abstracts online, however if you do not have internet access, proposals may be sent by U.S. mail once confirmed. Please contact Julie Varghese Julie@endabuse.org, phone (415) 252-8900.

    View Conference Purpose and Goals

    Registration opens September 30, 2006 online: http://www.endabuse.org/health/conference/

    View content from our 2004 National Conference on Health Care and Domestic Violence in Boston, MA.

     

    Health Cares about Domestic Violence Day

    Domestic Violence is a Health Care Issue.

    Are you interested in being part of a nationally coordinated effort to support, educate and empower providers to assess for abuse in your community?

    Would you like the work you are already doing to contribute to a nation-wide push to improve healthcare's response to domestic violence?

    Then join us for the eighth annual Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day (HCADV Day) on October 11, 2006!

    HCADV Day is a nationally recognized awareness-raising day that takes place annually on the second Wednesday of October. Organized by the Family Violence Prevention Fund, with co-sponsorship from AMSA, HCADV Day aims to reach members of the healthcare community and educate them about the critical importance of assessing for domestic violence, as well as the long term health implications of domestic violence and lifetime exposure to violence.

    There are many ways that you can provide leadership on your campus as part of HCADV Day and the Family Violence Prevention Fund has an Organizing Packet (Click here for the Packet) to help you get started. Consider writing a newsletter article (Click here for a sample article) or an op ed for a local paper; providing information to your classmates and faculty on routine assessment for domestic violence; and passing out (free!) buttons, patient education brochures and training tools to your classmates and faculty. Visit file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Anita/Local%20Settings/Temp/www.endabuse.org/hcadvd for more information.

    If you have any questions about your involvement, email Anna Marjavi file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Anita/Local%20Settings/Temp/anna@endabuse.org

    Violence Prevention: Promoting Health Communities: Morehouse School of Medicine

    Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) and the Hamilton Fish Institute are proud to announce a conference entitled Violence Prevention: Promoting Health Communities to be held from September 25- 26th, 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence is a national resource for the research and development of school violence prevention strategies. The conference aims to provide training and increase awareness among practitioners and community stakeholders about violence prevention and the new strategies that are rapidly growing in programs across the United States. Local and national leaders will be present to talk about successful activities and programs in their communities to deter violence.

    For more information go to: http://www.msm.edu/ViolenceConference/Violence.html or call Dr. Katherine Erwin for additional information at (404) 756-5278 or Dr. Kisha Braithwaite at (404) 756-8923, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm.

    Train-the-Trainer: Healthcare Response to Intimate Partner Violence

    September 20, 2006 at the Omni Charlottesville Hotel. Featuring Jacquelyn Campbell, PhD, RN, FAAN as morning keynote and workshops to train participants on the RADAR Curricula for Identifying, Assessing, and Managing Victims of Intimate Partner Violence.

    CME's, CEU's, and CERP credits will be offered to participants. Specific information about accreditation and credit can be found in the conference brochure.

    The full conference brochure and online registration are now available at file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Anita/Local%20Settings/Temp/www.vahealth.org/civp

    Health Students and Faculty Against Domestic Violence is a monthly listserv aimed to network health students and faculty from across the country who are interested in improving the health sector response to domestic violence. To subscribe visit http://www.endabuse.org/programs/healthcare/, click on 'Read More' under Join Monthly Listservs , and click on 'Subscribe' under Health Students and Faculty Against Domestic Violence Listserv.

    We encourage you to use this listserv to announce upcoming events you are planning or to pose questions to the group. To post an announcement or ask a question, send an e-mail to anita.nageswaran@gmail.com.

    The listserv is moderated by Anita Nageswaran, Health Intern with the Family Violence Prevention Fund and Second Year Medical Student at the University of California, San Francisco

    Thank you for contributing to our community!

    To learn more please visit our website http://www.endabuse.org/health