Development and Evaluation of a Trauma-Informed Women's Health Education Program for Intimate Partner Violence Survivors: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Women with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV) are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, human papillomavirus (HPV), cervical cancer, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which we collectively termed women's health issues (WHIs). This study aimed to educate IPV survivors through a trauma-informed, WHI education program tailored to the needs and experiences of IPV victims, based on focus group data. An education program was created using data from 10 focus groups (n = 38), and these interactive presentations on WHIs were presented to IPV survivors (n = 69). Participants completed demographic surveys, including questions about physician acknowledgment of IPV as a risk factor for chronic conditions, and pre-post tests to evaluate the effectiveness of the educational sessions. Education session data revealed that 39% of participants had never heard of HPV, 38% had not received a Pap smear in the last 3 years, and 15% did not know where to get tested for HIV. Only 15% (n = 10) of participants reported that their physician acknowledged IPV as a risk factor for disease. Following the health education, there was a significant normalized gain of 55.66%, with paired t tests comparing pretest/posttest scores supporting understanding of WHIs (p < .01). Tailored education modules about WHIs proved effective in educating women who have experienced IPV. Future iterations will focus on topics informed by participant responses, such as diabetes mellitus, neurological disorders, reproductive health, and gastrointestinal diseases. This study opens avenues for further exploration of the connection between IPV and health initiatives.