Victims are more likely to disclose abuse to a health care provider than to any other service provider, including law enforcement. Domestic violence affects at least 25% of female patients at some point in their lives. The long term health consequences include: increased risk for substance abuse, high blood pressure, asthma, unwanted pregnancy, STDs, etc. In Iowa, all hospitals must have a protocol for identifying and intervening with patients who experience domestic violence (Iowa Administrative Code [481] 51.7(3).

ICADV enjoys a long-time partnership with the Iowa Department of Public Health to bring resources and training to the health care community.

Current Health Care Campaigns
Project Connect
Iowa is proud to be one of ten communities selected by the Family Violence Prevention Fund to be part of Project Connect, a  2 year violence prevention initiative to improve the health and safety of women and children.  Funded by the Office on Women’s Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and coordinated by the Family Violence Prevention Fund, Project Connect works with family planning, adolescent health, home visitation, and other maternal child health and perinatal programs to develop policy and public health responses to domestic and sexual violence.  It also provides basic health and reproductive health services in domestic  violence programs and fosters the connections between advocates and health care programs.
For more information and materials for health care providers, visit the Family Violence Prevention Fund. http://www.endabuse.org/section/programs/health_care

Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day
Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day (HCADV Day) is a nationally recognized awareness-raising day that takes place on the second Wednesday of each October. Sponsored by the Family Violence Prevention Fund and the American Medical Students Association, resources are available for practitioners and students looking to increase awareness of the how critical it is to assess for domestic abuse and the long term health impacts of violence.
For more information and materials for health care providers, visit the Family Violence Prevention Fund. http://www.endabuse.org/content/action_center/detail/1130

For links to Health Care Professionals' resources, please click here.