The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: A decade of responding to violence against women

Violence against women is a common phenomenon worldwide. Effects can be severe and life-long. As physicians who treat women exclusively, the obstetrician-gynecologist has a medical and ethical obligation to recognize and intervene on behalf of their abused patients. At the same time, because of the special nature of the patient-physician relationship, the obstetrician-gynecologist is in a unique position to provide such assistance. This article presents an overview of violence against women and its consequences, highlights responses to the problem, and details the activities of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to educate its members on domestic violence. ACOG activities may serve as a model of response to domestic violence for similar organizations. (C) 1997 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.