Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116026

Abigail D. Paine, MPH, MSSW, Planned Parenthood of New York City, Inc., Margaret Sanger Square, 26 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012, 347-432-9883, adp2007@columbia.edu, Vicki Breitbart, EdD, MSW, Planned Parenthood of New York City, Inc (PPNYC), Margaret Sanger Square, 26 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012, Leslie L. Davidson, MD, MSc, Heilbrunn Dept. of Population and Family Health, Columbia University, 60 Haven Ave. B-2, New York, NY 10032, Vaughn I. Rickert, PsyD, Center for Community Health and Education, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 60 Haven Ave, B-3, New York, NY 10032, Carolyn Olsen, MPH, Bureau of Epidemiology Services, NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene, 125 Worth St., Rm 315, CN-6, New York, NY 10013, and Michelle Zeitler, MPH candidate, Heilbrunn Dept. of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 60 Haven Ave. B-2, New York, NY 10032.

Research on intimate partner violence (IPV) has been based almost exclusively on samples of adult women. Despite the high prevalence of IPV in adolescent and young adult women, and its negative impact on mental, physical, and reproductive health, little research has addressed the most effective ways of screening for IPV among adolescents and young women. To address this question, Planned Parenthood of New York City (PPNYC) and The Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health at Columbia University collaborated on a survey to investigate how and whether to screen adolescent and young adult women for IPV. This presentation will report on qualitative findings from that survey that address the acceptability of IPV screening among young urban women. Aim: To report on young urban women's reactions to being screened for IPV, their attitudes on who should conduct IPV screening, and disclosure of their IPV experiences. Methods: In 2004, women between the ages of 16 and 24 seeking reproductive health services from PPNYC were surveyed about IPV. Of the 138 respondents who answered the open-ended question about dating and violence in this survey, 31% are Hispanic, 34% are Black, 19% are White, and 16% are Asian or other. Preliminary analysis indicates no negative responses to being asked about IPV; all the respondents that commented on being screened were positive about being surveyed and about the role of health professionals in this process. Another group of women used this as an opportunity to describe their experiences with IPV.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to

(
• Articulate the acceptability of IPV screening among young women; (
• Describe this population's experience with IPV; (
• Identify young women's attitudes towards IPV screening by health care professionals.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.