The Importance of Intimate Partner Violence

November is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and I've invited Dr. Carrie Samsel, my co-author on a CJAM publication of the Cape Position Statement on Intimate Partner Violence in the ED. The World Health Organization estimates the prevalence to be one in three women worldwide with no significant difference between continents. A Justice Canada study estimated that patients are three times more likely to visit the emerge than their own family doctor for IPV related health concerns. 38% of all murders of all women worldwide are IPV related. Now just imagine if we were able to pick that up. 93% of these victims visited the emerge specifically for IPVrelated injury. Only 13% asked about domestic violence despite almost 40