Domestic violence--a comparison of activities in the health care sector in Brazil and Germany.
During the last decades an, international discussion has started on how to reduce the gender gap in women's and men's health. Feminist activists and public health scientists in Canada, Latin America (foremost Brazil), the States and South Africa issued a declaration of intention to focus on health impacts caused by gender-related domestic violence. In Europe, and particularly in Germany, the topic as an issue of medical care has lately been given increased attention. In this article, we present activities undertaken to overcome the obstacles in integrating the topic of domestic violence as a medical issue. The successful Brazilian strategy served as a model, in particular for implementing a hot-line for victims of domestic violence within the day-to-day clinical setting. The General Medical Council (Arztekammer), the Women's Medical Association of Lower-Saxony, and the Hanover Medical School founded a working committee "domestic violence" in co-operation with the Ministry of Women, Work and Social Affairs. Between 2002 and 2003, this task force worked out several guidelines and hand-outs for physicians to promote gender-sensitive treatment of abused women, gaining increasing acceptance by the German medical care providers in medical education and in-training services for physicians.
Lohff
Brigitte
B
Department of History, Ethics, and Philosophy of Medicine, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany. lohff.brigitte@mh-hannover.de
Voss
Angelika
A
D001938:Brazil; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016387:Women's Health