[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 56 (Friday, April 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    INTRODUCTION OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN HEALTH INITIATIVE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 15, 2011

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of The Violence Against 
Women Health Initiative Act, legislation that will bring the resources 
and expertise of the health sector to bear on the persistent problem of 
domestic and sexual violence.
  I invite you to join me today in the fight to preserve the 
fundamental dignity and safety of women across this great nation--a 
right to safety and security that should never be abrogated, and yet is 
under threat every day.
  Every nine seconds, a woman is abused in the United States. And every 
year, women are subjected to 4.8 million assaults and rapes by their 
intimate partners. According to 2009 statistics from the Federal Bureau 
of Investigation, of the 1,928 women murdered, 609 were wives murdered 
by their husbands; and 472 were girlfriends murdered by their 
significant other.
  While no sector of society is left untouched by violence against 
women, the health care system is particularly impacted by violence and 
abuse.
  Recent studies show that abuse victims use health care services 
between 2 and 2.5 times that of those who are not victims of abuse. 
More than 20 years of research connects child and adult exposure to 
domestic and sexual violence to asthma, stroke, heart disease, cancer, 
and depression. Intimate partner rape, physical assault, and stalking 
costs the health care system over $8.3 billion annually.
  In this period of elevated unemployment rates, there is particular 
cause for concern. The rate of violence in a relationship nearly 
doubles when a man is unemployed at least once. The rate of violence 
almost triples when a man experiences multiple periods of unemployment. 
In this economic recession, we have to be even more vigilant to prevent 
violence against women.
  The health care system is uniquely positioned to take a leading role 
in fighting and responding to the prevalence of violence.
  Victims know and trust their health care providers. Almost three-
quarters of survivors say that they would like their health care 
providers to ask them about violence and abuse.
  Multiple clinical studies have shown that short interventions in the 
medical environment protect the health and safety of women. These 
interventions are short--between two and ten minutes--and effective. In 
repeated clinical trials, violence decreased and health status improved 
following simple assessment and referral protocols. Integrating these 
effective protocols into our health care system will save lives.
  Indeed, routine assessment for intimate partner violence has been 
recommended for health care settings by the American Medical 
Association, American Psychological Association, American Nurses 
Association, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 
American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Joint Commission on the 
Accreditation of Health Care Organizations.
  Efforts by the health care system to prevent and respond to violence 
and abuse against women are built upon the success of the Violence 
Against Women Act (VAWA), first passed in 1994.
  Since its passage, the Violence Against Women Act has transformed our 
criminal justice and social service system. Between 1993 and 2008, the 
rate of intimate partner violence dropped 53%. Clearly, we are on the 
right track.
  Yet we need to do more.
  Despite the commitment of the health field to help victims of 
violence and abuse, a critical gap remains in the delivery of health 
care to victims. Health care providers often only address current 
injuries, without tackling the underlying cause of those injuries. This 
highlights the need to ensure that health care providers have the 
necessary training and support in order to assess, refer, and support 
victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and 
stalking.
  Today, I introduced the ``Violence Against Women Health Initiative 
Act'' as the first step in reauthorizing the Violence Against Women 
Act, helping the health care system to become a major player in the 
fight against violence against women. This bill would reauthorize three 
health programs; changes in the legislation will prioritize evaluation 
and accountability, as well as to expand the types of medical 
stakeholders engaged in this important effort.
  There should be no safe harbor for those who perpetrate domestic 
violence and sexual assault in the twenty-first century.

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