Domestic Violence in Hong Kong Chinese Women Attending Colposcopy Clinics

Objective: To study the prevalence of domestic violence in patients attending colposcopy clinics of a local teaching hospital. Study design: All Chinese women aged 18 to 65 years attending the colposcopy clinics from 1 June 2001 to 31 May 2002 were invited to join the study by completing the modified Abuse Assessment Screen Questionnaire. Patient characteristics in abused and non-abused women were compared. Results: Of the 730 women interviewed, 76 (10%) reported a history of domestic violence; 43 women were physically or sexually abused in the year preceeding the interview. Risk factors included being single, divorced, or widowed and related to religious beliefs. Low socioeconomic status and educational level correlated with domestic violence. No association was found between the likelihood of domestic violence and the severity of cervical neoplasia. Conclusion: In our locality, a history of domestic violence in women attending colposcopy clinics is quite common.