Studies estimate that almost one in four women will be the victim of domestic violence sometime in her life. If almost one-quarter of women in America caught a dangerous disease, we would work to control and cure the disease. About a quarter of women who attempt suicide or who seek help from an emergency psychiatric service are suffering abuse, and about a quarter of women who seek prenatal care are abused. These statistics suggest the amount of time and money that domestic violence costs the medical system and insurance companies. Abuse increases the chance that a woman will need major health care, whether for injuries or psychiatric problems.
Domestic violence is expensive, and everyone who buys insurance or medical care helps pay for it.
Days missed from work because of injuries also increase the cost of domestic violence to the community. The National Crime Survey estimates that 175,000 workdays are missed each year for this reason. A Public Health Issue Safer families mean healthier women. Abused women tend to be injured badly enough to need medical attention not just once, but many times. She is then more likely to remain trapped in the cycle of abuse and to need medical attention again.