NEW! The FVPF announces a new safety card family planning and reproductive health settings. The card prompts patients to ask themselves whether they are in a healthy relationship or if they have experienced reproductive coercion—forced sex, birth control sabotage, forced pregnancy, or violence—by an intimate partner. The card is designed to help women recognize how their intimate relationships may impact their reproductive health and their children’s health, while providing information for safety planning and referral. The backside of the card refers patients to the National Hotline on Domestic Violence, the Teen Domestic Violence Hotline and the Sexual Assault Hotline for further support. This tool is most effective when placed in private areas and may be given to patients routinely as part of regular visits, or upon disclosure of abuse (following routine assessment for violence by a healthcare provider). Stock these cards in waiting rooms, exam rooms, or restrooms and let patients know how to improve their safety and health. Available in English and Spanish. Tip from the field: Is your health care facility reluctant to implement routine assessment for abuse? By simply counting and tracking the number of cards stocked and then taken in a week, or month, the numbers may be a persuasive motivator to demonstrate to clinicians and administrators that domestic violence impacts your patient population and that women are interested in such information. |
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