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IPV screening — USMLE Step 3 MCQ

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HardOB/GYN (Prenatal / Contraception / Screening)IPV screeningUSMLE Step 3

A 32-year-old woman at 24 weeks of gestation has bruises in different stages of healing. Her partner answers every question, says that she is clumsy, and refuses to leave. She is medically stable and has no obstetric complication. The clinic has an established private-screening protocol and advocacy resources. Which action is most appropriate first?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

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Correct answer: E — Separate the couple routinely, explain confidentiality limits, and assess safety privately

The best answer is “Separate the couple routinely, explain confidentiality limits, and assess safety privately”. Privacy is essential because a controlling partner can suppress disclosure and retaliate if concern is raised publicly. Staff should use a routine mechanism to separate partners, explain the limits of confidentiality, screen nonjudgmentally, and assess immediate danger, children, weapons, strangulation, and safe communication. Reporting and referral then follow the patient’s risk, wishes, and applicable state law.

Reference: ACOG Committee Opinion: Intimate Partner Violence: https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2012/02/intimate-partner-violence