Study Calls Violence Against Women a Global Health Issue

One of every three women worldwide has been beaten, raped or somehow mistreated, according to a sweeping new report that says violence against women should be treated as a global health problem rather than just a law enforcement matter.

“I see the health care setting as an opportunity--and right now, it’s an opportunity lost,” said co-author Lori Heise, who visited at least 20 countries during the last decade, collecting data from 2,000 domestic violence studies. “It’s an opportunity to perhaps prevent a health problem from materializing.”

Authors of “Ending Violence Against Women,” released Thursday by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the Center for Health and Gender Equity, say it is the first study to take a worldwide look at violence against women.

Besides immediate physical injuries, abuse has been linked to problem pregnancies, substance abuse, gastrointestinal disorders and chronic pain syndromes, perhaps caused by anxiety, the study said.

“Women who have a history of abuse are at much higher risk of having these chronic conditions than other women,” said Heise.