Verizon Foundation-Funded Research Cited as Basis for Beyond the Bruises Campaign

The Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR (R)), a national non-profit and thought leader in research on sex differences in health and disease, today announced "Beyond the Bruises," an online campaign uniting survivors, advocates, organizations, and celebrities in bringing awareness to the effects of domestic violence on chronic disease. The campaign features a short film that shares the stories of domestic violence survivors who struggle with chronic disease as a result of their abuse, as well as the website BeyondtheBruises.org, a resource center that houses information on the often unrecognized effects of domestic violence on chronic illness.

A 2013 study conducted by MORE Magazine and the Verizon Foundation found that 81 percent of domestic violence victims experience with chronic health problems, proving that domestic abuse is not only a criminal issue, but a public health issue as well.
"Beyond the Bruises" offers a snapshot into the chronic health problems that domestic violence victims and survivors incur through a powerful testimonial-based video. The five-minute film features interviews with women who have experienced domestic violence and, consequently, chronic disease.