Population information program (PIP)

Gender-based violence is increasingly recognized as a major public health concern and a violation of human rights, with devastating effects on a woman's reproductive health (RH) and on other aspects of her physical and mental well-being. Besides causing injury, violence increases women's long-term risk of other health problems, including chronic pain, physical disability, drug and alcohol abuse, and depression. Women with a history of physical or sexual abuse are also at increased risk for unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The needs of these victims of violence often go unmet by health professionals. Violence against women and girls is often known as "gender-based" violence because it evolves in part from women's culturally-legitimated subordinate status in society. Two of the most common forms of this violence are abuse by intimate male partners and coerced sex. Intimate partner abuse (wife-beating) is almost always accompanied by psychological abuse and in one- quarter to one-half of cases by forced sex as well. The majority of women who are so abused are abused many times. In fact, an atmosphere of terror often permeates abusi

Source: DEC abstract, PN-ACH-996 (1999). This is the source's own text, not a cited summary of the documents.