Usability of two brief questions as a screening tool for domestic violence and effect of #MeToo on prevalence of self-reported violence

OBJECTIVE: Domestic violence is a hidden epidemic. We used a two-question screening tool to explore the prevalence of domestic violence among gynaecological outpatients and retrospectively assessed whether there was a change in the prevalence of self-reported violence after the launch of the #MeToo movement. STUDY DESIGN: Over 11 months, all gynaecological first-time visitors were asked two dichotomous questions screening for domestic violence and whether the violence had an ongoing impact on everyday life. Logistic regression assessed whether #MeToo was associated with the answers. RESULTS: Of 6957 screened women, 154 (2.2%) tested positive for domestic violence; 87 (56.5%) of these reported that the violence affected their health and well-being. The proportion of screen-positive respondents was 2.3% before and 2.2% after #MeToo. We did not detect increased odds of self-reporting domestic violence (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.70–1.36) or its ongoing impact (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.53–2.07) after #MeToo. CONCLUSIONS: Our two-question tool detected a lower prevalence than previous reports. Domestic violence remains a highly intimate, stigmatising, and underreported health issue; systematic screening and prevention should be advocated.