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accessHealthNews.net
January 2024
Volume 10 | Issue No. 80
Gender-based violence remains a severe
threat in the United States. It can have far-
reaching effects that persist throughout
the lifespan, including:
Physical: Sexually transmitted diseases
and infections (abuse and trauma
are among the top drivers of HIV/AIDS
among women); chronic diseases such as
cancer (including cervical cancer, which
develops from sexually-transmitted human
papillomavirus infections), diabetes, and
heart disease; injuries such as traumatic
brain injury from blunt force trauma and
attempted strangulation, fractures, and
burns; and maternal health issues such
as unintended pregnancy,pregnancy
complications, fetal death, and maternal
mortality. In a 2020 Tulane study, homicide
is the leading cause of pregnancy-
associated death in Louisiana.
Mental: Depression, anxiety, post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and
suicidal ideation.
Behavioral: Risky behaviors such as
substance use (often used as a coping
mechanism) and unsafe sex, as well as
missed opportunities such as education,
absenteeism at work/reduced workplace
productivity, lost earnings, and
homelessness.
A recent webinar titled Preventing
Gender-Based & Intimate Partner Violence
from the Health Resources and Services
Administration's Office of Women's
Health explored this topic and outlined
the federal government's most recent
strategies for action to address this issue.
Lynn Rosenthal, U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS) director of
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence,
summarized the U.S. National Plan to End
Gender-Based Violence released by the
White House in May 2023.
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For LGBTQ+ youth, Pride can offer a moment of relief,
providing access to information, support, and community
that may not otherwise be available or accepted.
