Résumé
In France, one in ten women is a victim of domestic violence. The latest recommendations and legislation give the general practitioner a central role in the management of domestic violence. The main objective of our study is to describe and understand the expectations of women victims of domestic violence towards the general practitioner in the Pyrénées-Orientales. Our secondary objective is to gather the opinions of women victims of domestic violence regarding the exemption from medical confidentiality.Methods: we conducted a qualitative study using individual semi-directed interviews with 11 women victims of domestic violence, recruited through victim support associations. In parallel, we drew up a map of existing reception structures in the Pyrénées-Orientales.Results: general practitioners do not intervene much in the care of the women interviewed. They are not very involved and not very solicited by the victims when they reveal the violence and when they are accompanied, except for writing medical certificates or prescribing medication. The women interviewed expect the doctor to detect the violence and coordinate their care. The participants' opinions on the waiving of medical confidentiality were mixed, but most were upset about the possibility of waiving the victims' consent.Discussion: the better involvement of the general practitioner is through early training and the integration of a network made up of professionals in the area.Conclusion: the traumatic experience of women who have suffered domestic violence must be considered as a medical history in its own right by the general practitioner who coordinates the treatment.