Atencion primaria
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Sexual violence is a very underdetected public health problem, with important short and long-term consequences on physical, mental, social, sexual and reproductive health, which must be taken into account by health services. Health systems are part of the set of resources necessary for a comprehensive approach from the ecological model: prevention and promotion of healthy sexuality with equality, adequate and coordinated care in the event of sexual assault and subsequent support to prevent sequelae. ⋯ A risk assessment will be carried out, the victim will be referred to a hospital if necessary and comprehensive and integrated care will be provided. Care and follow-up must focus on the survivor and with professionals trained in trauma to understand the consequences of sexual violence, offer a safe and trusting environment and know how to reinforce their qualities and support.
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Professionals who work with women victims of gender violence face difficult emotional situations, and it is important to be aware of the emotions and feelings that the attitudes and behaviour of victims and aggressors generate in them. These emotions can become barriers to communication and seriously affect the professional's relationship with victims. Furthermore, they can generate situations of sustained stress, lead to emotional exhaustion, and affect their health, life, and work performance. We describe the consequences, risk factors and warning signs, as well as protective or resilience factors, that are important to know, and we list the current challenges and some recommendations for professionals and management in order to help prevent such effects and improve professional performance without health risks.
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Caring for female victims of violence presents health professionals with situations that require careful consideration due to the conflicts raised between the fundamental principles of bioethics. During this process, intermediate courses of action should be adopted in which none of the affected principles is totally compromised, yet always take into account due compliance with legal and deontological regulations. ⋯ As such, the doctor has the obligation to inform his or her patient about this legal requirement, dedicating all the time and attention necessary to ensure that the victim understands the purpose and benefits of complying with this. In any case, and beyond the appropriate adaptation of the professional's conduct to current precepts, the ethical principle of care must be adhered to, by which the best thing the professional can do is to provide the victim with the means to avoid the repetition of new attacks, implementing prevention measures that have their origin in the accurate diagnosis of the situation of violence and in the communication of this to the authorities.
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Gender is an important determinant of health. Its relationship with inequality and violence allows us to consider being a woman as a risk factor for health. ⋯ Gender-based violence is often identified as a problem for adult women; however, the experience of discriminatory gender-based violence is constructed throughout women's lives, producing serious individual and social consequences from childhood. Accepting this violence as a «private or domestic matter» often prevents seeing the true dimension of the problem, its consequences, and the need to address it as a global issue.
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Population aging is a global phenomenon that is increasing the proportion of older people, particularly those over 80 years old. This increase in longevity does not always translate into years of good quality of life. This document reviews the latest evidence on the main preventive activities for older adults, starting with major geriatric syndromes such as frailty, cognitive impairment, and social isolation. ⋯ Additionally, for the first time, it includes an analysis of preventive activities related to suicide in older adults, coordinated with mental health promotion programs. Frailty, defined as the progressive deterioration of physiological systems, is a significant predictor of adverse health events and is considered potentially reversible, especially in its early stages. The diagnosis and management of frailty through comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) and the implementation of specific interventions such as multicomponent exercise, adequate nutrition, and medication review are key to improving the functionality and quality of life of older adults.