It’s okay to bring up abuse in a medical visit.
If you want to talk to your doctor, nurse, or other health care professional about the abuse you are experiencing from your partner, you can:
- Ask for a few extra minutes during your visit to discuss a concern.
- Ask what they can keep private and what they have to tell others, so you can decide what feels okay to share.
- Use clear language to begin the conversation; for example, “I’m worried about my safety at home,” or “I’ve had some issues in my relationship that I’d like to talk about.”
- Ask to use the phone to safely and privately call the domestic violence hotline number or local domestic violence program. (Here is a webpage with links to crisis and safety resources.)
- If it is possible, schedule a follow-up call with the health care professional, or someone else from the team, to check in on how you are doing later on.
