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Objectives To measure the prevalence of domestic violence among women attending general practice; test the association between experience of domestic violence and demographic factors; evaluate the extent of recording of domestic violence in records held by general practices; and assess acceptability to women of screening for domestic violence by general practitioners or practice nurses. Design Self administered questionnaire survey. Review of medical records. Setting General practices in Hackney, London. Participants 1207 women ( > 15 years) attending selected practices. Main outcome measures Prevalence of domestic violence against women. Association between demographic factors and domestic violence reported in questionnaire. Comparison of recording of domestic violence in medical records with that reported in questionnaire. Attitudes of women towards being questioned about domestic violence by general practitioners or practice nurses. Results 425/1035 women (41%, 95% confidence interval 38% to 44%) had ever experienced physical violence from a partner or former partner and 160/949 (17%, 14% to 19%) had experienced it within the past year. Pregnancy in the past year was associated with an increased risk of current violence (adjusted odds ratio 2.11, 1.39 to 3.19). Physical violence was recorded in the medical records of 15/90 (17%) women who reported it on the questionnaire. At least 202/1010 (20%) women objected to screening for domestic violence. Conclusions With the high prevalence of domestic violence, health professionals should maintain a high level of awareness of the possibility of domestic violence, especially affecting pregnant women, but the case for screening is not yet convincing.

These results indicate that olfactory function is differentially impaired or preserved in distinct parkinsonian syndromes and that it might also have some value as a diagnostic pointer. Thus, preserved or mildly impaired olfactory function in a parkinsonian patient is more likely to be related to atypical parkinsonism such as MSA, PSP or CBD, whereas markedly reduced olfaction is more suggestive of IPD.

Abuse in childhood and adulthood have differential effects on mental health; effects are increased by recency and severity. Women should be routinely questioned about ongoing and recent experiences as well as childhood.

with node-negative breast cancer who have ocstrogen receptor positive tumours. N Engl 7 .Mcfd 1989;320:479-84. 5 Fisher B, Brown A, Wolmark N, Redmond C, WXickerham DL, Wittliff J, et 13 Breast Cancer 'I'rials Committee. Adjuvant tamoxifeni in the management of operable breast cancer: the Scottish trial. Lant-et 1987;ii: 171-6. 14 Furr BJA, Jordan X'C. The pharmacology and clinical uses of tamoxifen.