A new report has highlighted the link between domestic violence and ill-health.
More women die or are seriously injured each year through domestic violence than through road crashes or cancer, said a report from the Women's Health Council called Violence Against Women and Health, which calls for better training for doctors and health workers so they can identify victims of violence.
Domestic violence and rape accounted for 19 per cent of all ill-health reported by women aged between 15 and 44 years, the report said.
"There is more and more evidence to show that violence and abuse are a major cause of disability and ill-health for women," it added.
Aside from problems that are fairly simple for medical experts to spot, like bruising and broken bones, victims of violence can suffer from problems that are more difficult to diagnose, such as bowel problems, stomach ailments, gynaecological problems and mental difficulties.
There are no Irish figures available, but in England and Wales, up to £1.8 billion (€2.5 billion) was spent on injuries associated with violence against women, the report said.
"Women who have been victims of violence also use the health services much more than those who have not. Even five years after the violence had stopped, their healthcare utilisation is still 20 per cent greater than that of other women."
The council has called for better training for health professionals so they can better identify women victims of violence, and for screening of women presenting at health services to look for signs that they have been beaten.
Health professionals sometimes do not want to ask questions about domestic violence because they don't want to open a Pandora's Box that will involve complex paperwork and referrals, says the council.
Health workers are often the strongest hope for victims of violence. "While women are often reluctant to contact the police, they do access health services, either to address their injuries or seeking routine care for themselves or their children. So health professionals are uniquely placed to assist them and provide support to them," say the report's authors.