Domestic Violence Prevention

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Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as physical or sexual violence, stalking, or psychological aggression by a current or former intimate partner. (CDC) Instances of IPV can escalate to murder, with the presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increasing the risk of homicide by 5-fold. More than 64% of women die from gun violence, and IPV may also lead to chronic health complications, miscarriages in pregnant women, and premature birth.

The Role of Healthcare Practitioners

Physicians are in a unique position to combat the public health challenge of IPV by screening for IPV in patients, offering resources to guide patients, and making a plan to follow up with their patients.

We host annual IPV awareness webinars, highlighting the critical role that providers can play in violence prevention and intervention.

Domestic Violence Impacts 1 in 4 physicians.

Domestic violence impacts nearly 1 in 4 of physicians, with a greater predominance of women as compared with men. Some cases involving women physicians have been made public, but the vast majority of cases are not reported or shared.

We are working to both raise awareness about physicians experiencing intimate partner violence and create a supportive community for our colleagues who experience and/or care for others experiencing IPV.

Join the Domestic Violence Prevention Working Group

Our Current Initiatives

Our Domestic Violence Prevention Working Group is built on three foundational pillars of Education, Advocacy, and Research. It is through these lenses that we hope to bring positive change to our healthcare system’s response to IPV.

Education

2026 Domestic Violence Awareness Webinar: We are in the planning stages of our 5th annual domestic violence awareness webinar, held in the month of October – Domestic Violence Awareness month. Stay tuned for more details and registration information.
Intimate Partner Violence Continuing Medical Education: We are finalizing our IPV screening and intervention educational training modules for healthcare professionals.
Premedical Intimate Partner Violence Training: We are providing an IPV training to premedical AMWA branches across the country.
Healthy Relationships 101 Curriculum: We are developing a Healthy Relationships 101 curriculum intended to educate high school students on the pillars of a healthy relationship, as well as the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship.

Advocacy

Position papers: Our group is continually drafting position papers on current events relevant to the care and safety of survivors of IPV.
Hill Day: We are in the process of planning our first Hill Day, where our members will meet with congressional staffers to advocate for policy that enhances the care and safety of IPV survivors.
Survivor Messages to Healthcare Physicians Exhibit: We are collecting messages directly from IPV survivors regarding what they want the medical profession to know about their experiences and how to best care for survivors.

Research

Our research focuses are primarily in medical education, physician IPV knowledge and intervention, and the effect of IPV on various health domains. Please see the research works of our committee members below.

Publications

Chau CA, Singh V, Lutnick A, Lesser M. Physician Responses to Patients Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence. PRiMER. 2025;9. doi:10.22454/PRiMER.2025.584466

Oral and Poster Presentations

Chau CA, Granovsky R, Cobos CA. Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Healthcare Utilization Across Dermatologic Conditions. Poster presentation at: 2026 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting; March 27-31, 2026; Denver, CO.
White E, Chau CA, Xi S. Double Burden: Comorbid Anxiety and Chronic Conditions Intensify the Negative Health Impact on Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence. Poster presentation at: 2026 American Medical Women’s Association 111^th Annual Meeting; March 27-29, 2026; Burlingame, CA.
Chau CA, Hu B, Xi A. Dermatologic signs of intimate partner violence: a call to action. Oral presentation at: Women in Healthcare World Congress; March 28-30, 2025; Waltham, MA.
Chau CA, Singh V. Physician responses to patients experiencing intimate partner violence. Poster presentation at: Society of Teachers in Family Medicine Annual Conference; May 5, 2024; Los Angeles, CA.