ABSTRACT
Unarguably significant gender differences exist in the experience of health problems. For instance, morbidity rates of musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases such as osteoporosis are much greater for women. Women, more often than men, also experience neurologic disorders, including migraine headaches, as well as psychiatric disorders, particularly affective, anxiety, and eating disorders (Litt, 1993). In the keynote address at the Society of Behavioral Medicine’s annual meeting, Chesney (1997) implored those assembled to add domestic violence to the list of women’s health problems. The Midcourse Review of the Healthy People 2000 goals (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services [USDHHS], 1995) acknowledged that, “Women are frequent targets of both physical and sexual assault often perpetrated by spouses, intimate partners, or others known to them” (p. 60). Unfortunately, this report also states that homicides, weapons-related violent deaths, and assault injuries have increased since 1990. As such, women account for nearly two thirds of medical visits and are recipients of most medications prescribed (Hoffman, 1995).
