Table 3.

Examples of IPV Screening Categories.

Explicit	OBP: “Any history of sexual abuse or domestic violence?”	OBP: “Any history of um ah sexual abuse, domestic violence, times when you haven’t felt safe in a relationship previously or currently?”	OBP: “Anyone harm you physically or sexually? Verbal abuse?”
Implicit	OBP: “Safe at home?”	OBP: “You guys [patient and her partner] are getting along okay?”	OBP: “How is your relationship with [partner’s name]?”
Repeated	OBP: “Are you safe at home?” P: “Yeah.” [discussion of recent incarceration, where she is living, identify of father of the baby, other pregnancies and their problems/outcomes, nutrition concerns, folic acid supplementation, other medical conditions] OBP: “Psychiatric problems—depression, anxiety?” P: “Nope.” OBP: “Bipolar disorder? Other medical problems that I haven’t asked you about?” P: “Just my right knee surgery. That is all I’ve had.” OBP: “That is fine. Have you ever been a victim of sexual abuse or been forced to have sex against your will?” P: “No.” OBP: “Have you been a victim of domestic violence?” P: “Yes.” OBP: “Ok. Tell me about that.” P: “With my son’s father. The one year old.”	OBP: “Are you safe right now at home?” P: “Yeah.” OBP: “Who do you live with?” P: “My boyfriend and my children.” [3 s pause] “I have a question.” Q: Sure. [discussion of breastfeeding when on methadone, medications, allergies, past medical history, past surgical history, delivery experience with her last pregnancy, current medications, details regarding methadone dosage and clinic where patient receives it] OBP: “Any sexual abuse or domestic violence at home?” P: “No [drawn out for two seconds]. I had a little domestic violence um but that stopped. I had him arrested. It was minimal. He pushed me, but it still happened, so-”	OBP: “Do you feel safe where you’re living?” P: “Yeah.” M: “Do you feel safe in your pregnancy? Or in your relationship?” P: “Yeah.” OBP: “This is, these are questions we’ll askya every time you come in and—” P: “Okay.” OPB: “The reason that we do that is because we know that abusive relationships often, the abuse of- abuse often starts during a pregnancy, or gets a lot worse.” P: “Okay.” OBP: “And so it’s something we’d like you to keep an eye out for and also something we’ll ask ya.” P: “Oh.” OBP: “Yeah, as long as no one’s here with you.” P: “Okay.” OBP: “We’ll ask you probably at every visit.” P: “Okay.” [discussion about unplanned pregnancy and how patient feels about it currently, patient’s job and concerns she has about the job, OBP screening for depression/anxiety] OBP: “No [history of mental illness]? Things that previously can be very small, like minor depression can get a lot lot worse in pregnancy so that’s why we always ask.” P: “Okay.” OBP: “And then, we also always ask about a history of sexual abuse, just because a lot of times, that, the uh concerns and the fears you have can really come up again during pregnancy.” P: “Okay.” OBP: “Have you ever been sexually abused?” P: “Nope.” OBP: “How about physically abused? P: “Nope.”
Reason for asking	OBP: “We ask all women in pregnancy whether they are having sexual abuse that can affect your experience [ah] and we also try to ask you every visit whether you are safe or if you are experiencing hitting, kicking, threatening, or abusing you?”	OBP: “The next couple of questions I ask because it is really common for women—about 20% of women will actually answer yes. Have you ever been sexually abused or physically abused by a partner, anyone in your life?”	OBP: “The next couple of questions are also always uncomfortable to have to ask or always uncomfortable to have to answer but I think it’s important so we can really take care of all of you.” P: “Okay.” Q: “Any history of being in a relationship where you felt unsafe a boyfriend or a friend even hitting you or hurting you?”
Detailed	OBP: “Anyone that is threatening you physically, mentally, sexually, work, home? Anything like that?”	OBP: “And do you have any history of being abused at all? Sexual, physical, emotional?”	OBP: “Have you ever been forced to have sex against your will or been a victim of sexual abuse in any way?” P: “Uh uh.” [no] OBP: “Okay. How about violence in the home? You ever been hit, slapped, kicked, punched?”
Leading	OBP: “No history of violence of being threatened or being abused?”	OBP: “Okay and he [partner] treats you well?” P: “Uh huh” OBP: “He’s never threatened to harm you or hurt you in any way?”	OBP: “You are safe at home. No one is hurting you?”

Note.OBP=obstetric care provider; P=patient.