Leslie L. Davidson, MD, MSc, Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, 722 W 168 Street, New York, NY 10032, 212-342-0247, lld1@columbia.edu, E. Carolyn Olson, MPH candidate, Heilbrunn Dept. of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 60 Haven Ave. B-2, New York, NY 10032, Leslie Rottenberg, CSW, Executive Office, Planned Parenthood New York City, Margaret Sanger Square, 26 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10012, Vicki Breitbart, EdD, MSW, MS, Executive Office, Planned Parenthood of New York City, Inc (PPNYC), Margaret Sanger Square, 26 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012, Lynne Stevens, MSW, BCD, Independent Consultant, 159 W. 95 St., New York, NY 10025, Vaughn I. Rickert, PsyD, Center for Community Health and Education, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 60 Haven Ave, B-3, New York, NY 10032, Roger Vaughan, DrPH, Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 60 Haven Ave, B-3, New York, NY 10032, and William F. Bacon, PhD, Education and Training Department, Planned Parenthood of New York City, 26 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012.

Data suggest that the prevalence of teen relationship violence is substantially higher than that of older women. However, there is no research on teenagers’ experiences in either disclosing violence to health care providers nor their views on how to improve provider responses. Initial focus groups of urban young women aged 15-24 years and providers seem to indicate that teenagers have a different perspective than women aged 22-24 years on issues of nomenclature and the extent to which they would volunteer information to specific questions about intimate partner violence (IPV). This presentation will report on a survey testing these assumptions.

Aim: To explore the extent to which young urban women aged 15 to 24 years report experiences of IPV; to review the proportion who have disclosed IPV to health care providers; and to report on their disclosure experiences.

Methods: This study, currently in the field, is using a computer-assisted survey of 600 15- to 24-year-old urban women from diverse ethnic backgrounds seeking reproductive health care. Their participation is anonymous and unlinked to their health records. The study will determine the degree to which they are involved in sexual and romantic relationships and whether they report physical, sexual or verbal abuse from an intimate partner. It will review the extent to which they disclosed IPV experiences to health care providers and the responses they received. Participants were asked what would make it easier to disclose these difficult issues. Results will be stratified by age and ethnicity.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able

• To articulate the prevalence of reported physical, sexual and emotional intimate partner violence (IPV) experiences among a sample of urban young women aged 15-24 seeking reproductive health care.
• To identify what proportion of those young women who have experienced IPV have disclosed their experiences to a health care provider.
• To describe the common disclosure experiences of those young women, including their descriptions of the responses of their health care providers.

Keywords: Domestic Violence, Youth

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.