Special Section:
International Progress in the VAW Movement  

Violence Against Women as a Health Issue

by Yunjo Lee

Violence is a major factor that affects women’s health and well-being. In addition to immediate physical injury and mental anguish that women experience at the time of violence, violence likely causes a long-term negative impact on women’s overall health. Many studies have shown that women who experienced physical or sexual abuse, whether in childhood or adulthood, had significantly poorer health than their peers.

Violence is linked to many serious health problems, both immediate and long term. These include: physical-health problems, such as injury sometimes leading to death or disability, chronic pain syndromes, gastrointestinal disorders, and somatic complaints; a range of mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, phobias/panic disorder, low self-esteem, and suicide; and reproductive health problems, such as STDs including HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion, gynecological disorders, and miscarriage/low birth weight. Violence also undermines health by leading to unhealthy behaviours, such as smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, sexual risk-taking, and overeating.

The related cost is tremendous. Health Canada estimates the measurable health-related costs of VAW in Canada to be over $1.5 billion a year, which include short-term medical and dental treatment for injuries, long-term physical and psychological care, lost time at work, and use of transition homes and crisis centres.  u

References

Heise, L, Ellsberg, M, and Gottemoeller, M (1999) Population Reports. Available online at http://www.infoforhealth.org/pr/l11/l11chap5_1.shtml#return.

Health Canada, Violence against Women. Available online at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/women/facts_issues/facts_violence.htm.