According to the Verian-HAS survey carried out among 1,000 French women, the majority consider it legitimate for general practitioners to systematically question their patients about possible violence. However, only a minority of them say they have been questioned. A silence which, for many, further delays access to help.
When consultation becomes a possible space to break the silence
In the privacy of a medical office, speech can sometimes be opened up where it had remained locked away for years. Chronic pain, fatigue, sleep problems… Behind certain symptoms lie violence that patients do not always dare to name.
This is precisely what a survey carried out for the High Authority for Health (HAS) by the Verian Institute, published in November 2025, seeks to better understand.Identification of domestic violence in general medicine: point of view of French women”it is a continuation of the recommendations issued by the HAS in 2019, which encourage doctors to systematically question their patients about possible violence within the couple.
Because general medicine occupies a unique place in this identification. The numbers speak for themselves: 9 out of 10 women have consulted a general practitioner at least once in the last 18 monthsand in almost 8 out of 10 cases it is their usual doctor.
Above all, the relationship of trust is very real: 93% of women say they feel comfortable with their general practitioneraccording to the investigation.
In this context, the question of violence could naturally find its place in the consultation. And the patients themselves are largely in favor of it. The study thus shows that 97% of women believe that “the questioning of all patients by the general practitioner to facilitate the identification of possible domestic violence (…) is a good thing” (Verian-HAS survey, 2025).
In other words, far from being perceived as intrusive, this question appears to the vast majority to be legitimate, even expected.
Real progress… but still too timid
However, between intention and practice, the gap remains significant.
According to the study, only 1 in 20 women say they have been directly asked by their doctor about possible domestic violence during a recent consultation. A figure that is increasing — they were only1 in 33 in 2022either an increase of 67% — but which remains very weak.
The observation is clear: “the detection of domestic violence is slowly entering into practice” (Verian-HAS survey, 2025).
The subject appears even less often than other sensitive themes. So, 26% of women say they have been questioned about their alcohol consumption, 37% on tobacco And 61% on their physical activity. In comparison, only 17% mention a discussion with their doctor about their relationship with their partner.
Another indicator underlines this still discreet presence of the subject in the medical space: only 28% of women remember seeing resources or information about domestic violence in their medical officea stable proportion for several years.
However, when the question is asked, the experience is mostly positive. The women interviewed in the study explain that the subject is generally approached “without detour or brutality” and perceived as “benevolent”part of a prevention or diagnosis approach.
Even more, the survey reveals a striking result: women victims of violence have an even more positive perception of this questioning. Among them, 89% say they find it reassuring and 72% a source of relief.
Speech, when it finds a space, can therefore become a first step towards leaving silence.
Behind the statistics, lives on hold
Because the stakes are immense. In the sample studied, 1 in 5 women report experiencing or having experienced violence – verbal, psychological, sexual or physical – from their partner.
And yet, this violence often remains silent, including to the doctor. Among the women concerned:
- 21% say they spontaneously spoke about it to their doctor;
- only 5% did so because he asked them;
- 39% say they would talk about it if the doctor asked them;
- 35% think they will never talk to him about it.
These figures reveal a fragile reality: many women could speak… but are waiting for the possibility to be opened to them. In other words, a simple question can change the trajectory of a life.
The study also highlights that improving identification would make it possible to care for 2.5 times more women victims of violence.
Behind this statistic, there are stories of fear, isolation, sometimes immediate danger. But also the possibility of support, accompaniment, relay to specialized structures.
General medicine is obviously not alone in facing this challenge. But it is often the first door that victims pass through. And in this discreet space, during a consultation, a question can sometimes be enough to break the silence.