Hesperian Health Guides
To the Health Worker
It is not enough just to take care of a woman’s wounds. Health workers can take a more active role in stopping violence against women.
When you examine a woman, look for signs of abuse
When you examine women during regular medical check-ups, look for signs of abuse. Abusers who are physically violent often injure women where the marks will not show. Women who have been beaten may wear clothing to hide their injuries. As a health worker, you are one of the few people who sees these places on her body.
If you see an unusual mark, bruise, or scar, ask her how it happened. Or if a woman comes to you in pain, bleeding, or with broken bones or other injuries, ask her if she has been abused. Remember that many abused women will say they got injured by accident. Assure her that you will not do anything without her permission.
Write everything down
When you see a woman who has been abused, draw a picture of the front and back of her body and mark the places where she has been injured. Write down the name of the person who abused her. Try to find out how many times this has happened before. Ask if other family members, such as her sisters or her children, have also been abused. If she is in danger, help her decide what she wants to do. Whether or not she wants to leave, you can help her make a safety plan. If she wants to go to the police, go with her. You can help make sure they take her claim seriously (and do not abuse her themselves). Help her make contact with other women who have been abused. Together they may be able to find solutions.
For information about how to treat injuries, see Where There Is No Doctor or another general medical book.
What resources are available for abused women? Look for:
- legal help.
- safe houses.
- money-earning projects for women.
- mental health services.
- adult education programs for reading, writing, computers, and other skills.