Only 1.5-12% of primary care visits include DV screening

Domestic violence victims visit healthcare providers at significantly higher rates than the general population — for injuries, chronic pain, mental health crises, and reproductive health issues. Yet DV screening rates in primary care range from only 1.5% to 12% of visits. Only 37% of survivors who disclose abuse to anyone disclose it to a healthcare provider, and just 34% of victims receive medical care for abuse-related injuries. The missed opportunity is enormous: a healthcare visit is often the only time a survivor is alone with a trusted professional, away from the abuser's surveillance. When providers do not ask, the moment passes. This screening failure persists because 90% of physicians in OB/GYN, family practice, and internal medicine received zero education on DV in their medical training, 76% have not attended any DV program in the past year, providers cite 'lack of time' as the top barrier (a standard visit is 15 minutes), and there is no universal billing code incentive for DV screening comparable to depression screening (PHQ-9) which is now routine.