Violence against woman: clients of emergency care units in Salvador

Abstract

This article discusses research on violence against women treated at an emergency care hospital in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. A total of 701 interviews were conducted in a cluster sample of women ages 15 to 49 years, of whom 321 reported some episode of physical, sexual, and/or psychological violence. Although violence against the women in this sample was not associated with social/demographic characteristics, most cases of violence occurred in the domestic environment. Among women reporting physical violence, there were more cases of mental and behavioral disorders, problems resulting from external causes, genitourinary tract diseases, and ill-defined causes. The article concludes that health services need professionals who are prepared to treat these women, who often come to emergency care units to relieve their pain and suffering but fail to find a concrete response to their real needs.