USNEWS HEALTH reported that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended that all women of childbearing age should be screened for signs of domestic violence and referred for treatment if necessary.

Apparently, according to the author, Serena Gordon, the new recommendations, published in the January issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, apply to women with no apparent symptoms of abuse.

The screenings may include questions like: In the past year, have you ever been afraid of a partner? Have you ever been in a relationship where your partner pushed or slapped you?

Ms. Gordon notes, “The screening tools aren’t perfect, however. Available studies suggest that they can correctly identify between roughly 62 percent and 96 percent of women experiencing domestic violence”

And, according to the recommendations, other studies assessing interventions found modest improvements in domestic violence, with no harm reported for the intervention, according to the recommendation.

The article says that when such women are identified with signs of domestic violence associated diseases can be prevented, the impact of such violence can be minimized, and future abuse can be stopped dead before someone is seriously injured.

Here’s what’s not mentioned in the article.

• If available studies suggest that such screenings will correctly identify 62 percent and 96 percent of women experiencing domestic violence. then
• Thirty-eight percent and 2 percent will be incorrectly identified.
• Meaning alleged perpetrators may be falsely identified, if not falsely accused, falsely arrested, and wrongly convicted.
• Health care professionals, those doing the screenings, are mandatory reporters. If they suspect domestic violence they have to report it to law enforcement, even screening results that may eventually be determined as false.
• Screening results will cause witch-hunts for people who allegedly committed domestic violence in the distant past.

Such interventions result in “modest improvements” at what cost? Exactly what is the cost associated with false screening results? How did these professionals determine that modest improvements have more value than a life ruined by false findings– findings that lead to a false arrest, even if the young pregnant woman screened truthfully denies any recent or ongoing abuse?

Any caring person would want the young protected from domestic violence, pregnant or otherwise, women or men. However, in the absence of more definitive research, research offering starkly compelling results rather than questionable “modest improvements”, such costly programs may have vastly more costly unintended consequences.

They will, without question, ruin the lives of untold numbers of innocent people, including some of the young pregnant women screened. For every false finding there will be one or more lives ruined. Families will be destroyed.

Involved professionals, mostly women, will make more money, more soft jobs will be created, and shelter and support services will demand more money to serve the new found victims, real or not.

It seems that when such women are wrongly identified with signs of domestic violence the impact of such violence may be exacerbated by the program which will cause abuse and injury not only to the women screened, but to those they love.

Do you really think this program is intended to help pregnant women who may be experiencing abuse? Can you think of other possible reasons?

You can read the full article here: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/01/21/task-force-urges-routine-screening-of-women-for-domestic-violence_print.ht

Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence

Tags: Annals of Internal Medicine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, David Grossman, domestic violence, Group Health Research Institute, Hillary Haldane, mens health, Quinnipiac University, screen pregnant women, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, war on men