It’s dangerous. It can kill. But physicians don’t want to talk about it.

Identifying abuse in the clinical setting is key. In January 2013, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force announced that it now “recommends clinicians screen women of childbearing age for intimate partner violence (IPV), such as domestic violence, and provide or refer women who screen positive to intervention services.” This is a great step towards addressing the epidemic of domestic violence.

But it doesn’t completely address the frustration that many physicians experience when confronted with the vast complexities of domestic violence. In many ways, they too may be grappling with the following question:

Why don’t people in abusive relationships just leave?

Read the full article published on KevinMD