Intimate partner violence screening
The USPSTF recommends that clinicians ask women of reproductive age, including during pregnancy and after giving birth, about intimate partner violence, and offer or refer to support for those who screen positive. (USPSTF, 2025)
If you need help now: the National Domestic Violence Hotline is free, confidential and open 24/7. Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), text START to 88788, or chat at thehotline.org. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The Hotline notes that internet use can be monitored and is hard to erase completely; if that worries you, call instead. (The Hotline)
- USPSTF grade
- B (women of reproductive age); I (caregiver abuse of older or vulnerable adults)
- Who
- Women of reproductive age, including pregnant and postpartum
- Ages
- No number set
- How often
- No set interval
What the USPSTF says, by group
| Group | USPSTF (June 24, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Women of reproductive age, including pregnant and postpartum (and pregnant or postpartum teens) | B: clinicians should screen with a brief questionnaire, and offer or refer to ongoing support for a positive result (USPSTF, 2025) |
| Older or vulnerable adults (abuse or neglect by a caregiver) | I: evidence insufficient to weigh benefits and harms; not a recommendation either way (USPSTF, 2025) |
| Men | No separate grade. The USPSTF notes that men experience intimate partner violence too (USPSTF, 2025) |
The 2025 statement replaces the 2018 one and keeps the same advice; it now names pregnant and postpartum women because the evidence is strongest for them. (USPSTF, 2025) It covers people without signs of abuse. If you have been hurt, you do not need to wait to be asked: tell your doctor.
What you may be asked
A short set of questions about current or recent abuse. The USPSTF lists HARK (Humiliation, Afraid, Rape, Kick), HITS (Hurt, Insult, Threaten, Scream) and WAST (Woman Abuse Screening Tool) among the questionnaires that can be used. It notes that people are more likely to answer when a clinician they trust asks directly, in a private and safe setting. (USPSTF, 2025)
You do not have to answer, and you can ask what happens with your answers first. Reporting rules differ by state. (USPSTF, 2025)
What happens after a positive screen
The USPSTF says the benefit comes from what follows: support that runs over several visits and covers more than the abuse itself, such as depression, health, family and social needs. In the trials, this support was given to women who were pregnant or had recently given birth. (USPSTF, 2025)
Questions people ask
Why does my doctor ask if I feel safe at home?
Because the USPSTF recommends that clinicians screen women of reproductive age, including those who are pregnant or have recently given birth, for intimate partner violence, and offer or refer to support for those who screen positive (grade B, 2025). It is a routine question, asked of many patients. (USPSTF, 2025)
What questions are used for domestic violence screening?
Short questionnaires about current or recent abuse. The USPSTF names HARK (Humiliation, Afraid, Rape, Kick), HITS (Hurt, Insult, Threaten, Scream) and the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) among those that can be used. They ask whether a partner has hurt, insulted, threatened, frightened or forced you. (USPSTF, 2025)
Is there an age for this screening?
The USPSTF says "women of reproductive age" and does not set a number. It also applies to adolescents who are pregnant or postpartum. It found no evidence on how often to screen. (USPSTF, 2025)
What about older adults and caregiver abuse?
For abuse or neglect of older or vulnerable adults by a caregiver, the USPSTF found the evidence insufficient (I statement). It says this is not a recommendation against asking; clinicians should use their judgment. If you are worried about an older relative, talk to their doctor. (USPSTF, 2025) (USPSTF grade definitions)
Will my doctor have to report what I say?
It depends on where you live. The USPSTF notes that reporting rules differ from state to state; some states require clinicians to report abuse, and most require reporting injuries from guns, knives or other weapons. You can ask your clinician how it works before you answer. (USPSTF, 2025)
Why this is not in the screening planner
The planner needs an age range, and the USPSTF does not give one for "reproductive age." A printed plan or calendar reminder naming this screening could also be seen by someone else. So it has this page instead.