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RecruitingNCT07701629ENVVOLUpdated Nov 13, 2026

Study on Violence Against Vulnerable Women and Optimizing Support Services

An observational study in Female Genital Mutilation, Woman Abuse and Abuse, Sexual, sponsored by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes. Recruiting at 1 site in France. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-13.

Sponsored by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes · Observational

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Sep 2026; still recruiting 2 months later.
Updated Nov 13, 2026Now RecruitingFirst site in France+4 moreGo to Updates ↓

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Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
70
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

Sexual and gender-based violence in France primarily affects women, who make up 88% of victims, with 670,000 affected annually. Many suffer abuse from partners, including 94,000 rape cases, and minors are heavily impacted. Despite frequent emergency visits, medical follow-up is inconsistent, and these violences significantly reduce women's healthy life expectancy. The study aims to assess quality of life improvements six months after multidisciplinary care in specialized centers like "La Maison des Femmes" (The Women's House).

Read the detailed description

Gender-based and sexual violence in France primarily affects women, who account for 88% of victims. Each year, around 670,000 women experience this violence, including 213,000 at the hands of their current or former partner. Among them, 94,000 are victims of rape or attempted rape-that's one rape every 8 minutes. This violence particularly affects minors, with 59% of men accused of having victims under the age of 18. Yet only 1 in 5 victims files a complaint. In 2023, 134 women were killed by their spouse or former spouse. In addition to the direct victims, the children in the family are often co-victims, exposed to violence and suffering from serious psychological and behavioral consequences. In 2024, more than 450,000 victims of physical violence and 122,600 victims of sexual violence were recorded, a situation that is particularly alarming among women in vulnerable situations (minors, migrants, and the homeless). Some migrant women undergo female genital mutilation, resulting in lasting trauma. In 2010, the number of adult women who had undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) in France was estimated at more than 124,000. Violence has serious impacts on physical and mental health: post-traumatic stress, sleep disorders, depression, risky behaviors, as well as an increased incidence of certain diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancers, gynecological conditions). Pregnancy is often an aggravating factor in domestic violence, with increased risks for both the mother and the child. Children exposed to domestic violence also suffer from various problems (developmental delays, behavioral disorders, and impaired self-esteem). On average, 3 femicides per day are recorded, whether direct or indirect.

Despite increased use of emergency rooms, medical follow-up for victims remains inconsistent. According to the WHO, this violence reduces women's healthy life expectancy by 1 to 4 years. Beyond individual suffering, this violence carries a heavy social and economic cost, affecting professional life, the ability to care for themselves and their children, and often leading to isolation. The main aim of this study is to assess improvements in quality of life at 6 months (baseline vs. 6-month comparison) following multidisciplinary care for vulnerable women or victims of violence referred to a specialized facility such as the Maison Des Femmes (MDF).

02

Conditions studied

  • Female Genital Mutilation
  • Woman Abuse
  • Abuse, Sexual
  • Spouse Abuse

Keywords

  • Violence against women
  • Domestic violence
  • Quality of life
  • Women's health services
  • Women's house
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes is the lead sponsor of 595 studies on the registry; 89 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Women, victims of domestic violence frequenting the Maison des Femmes (Women's House) in Nîmes. La Maison Des Femmes serves many migrant women whose health has deteriorated due to the hardships in their home countries, their migration journey, and upon arrival in France. Barriers to accessing care are linked to administrative, legal, linguistic, and cultural obstacles, as well as economic circumstances. They may come to the center on their own or be referred by a healthcare provider, an organization, a Medical and Psychological Center or Medical and Social Center, law enforcement, healthcare professionals, or anyone else who is aware of the existence of the facility. It has been open since January 2025 and has served 146 patients, scheduled 498 appointments (356 of which were kept) conducted 291 consultations, and provided 65 outpatient hospitalizations. It supports women from various backgrounds, many of whom are in vulnerable situations and/or have experienced violence.

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Adult women receiving care at the MDF in the Gard department;
  • Women in situations of vulnerability and violence
  • Women who agree to participate in the study and have signed the consent form;
  • Non-French-speaking women who can be assisted in understanding through the midwife's intervention and telephone interpretation

Note: Pregnant and breastfeeding women may be included. Indeed, pregnancy is a trigger or aggravating factor for domestic violence and can further exacerbate the precarious situation of women seeking services at the MDF.

Article L1121-1 of the Public Health Code (CSP) and Decree No. 2016-1537 of November 16, 2016, stipulate that biomedical research must protect vulnerable individuals, including pregnant women, but authorize clinical trials if the benefits outweigh the risks.

Note: Patients who are not covered by social security will be recruited in accordance with Article L1121-8-1 of the Public Health Code*

  • Individuals who are not enrolled in a social security program or who are not beneficiaries of such a program may be recruited to participate in non-interventional research.
  • As an exception, the Human Subjects Protection Committee may authorize a person who is not enrolled in or a beneficiary of a social security system to participate in research referred to in paragraphs 1 or 2 of Article L. 1121-1. This authorization must be justified.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • All persons under guardianship or conservatorship
  • All persons incapable of giving consent
05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
70 participants (estimated)
Target follow-up
6 Months
Patient registry
Yes
06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in quality of life

    Difference in quality of life between initial care and at 6 months, measured using the WHOQoL-BREF self-report questionnaire. The WHOQOL-BREF is a self-administered questionnaire comprising 26 questions on the individual's perceptions of their health and well-being over the previous two weeks. Responses to questions are on a 1-5 Likert scale where 1 represents "disagree" or "not at all" and 5 represents "completely agree" or "extremely"

    Time frame: Baseline

  2. Change in quality of life

    Difference in quality of life between initial care and at 6 months, measured using the WHOQoL-BREF self-report questionnaire. The WHOQOL-BREF is a self-administered questionnaire comprising 26 questions on the individual's perceptions of their health and well-being over the previous two weeks. Responses to questions are on a 1-5 Likert scale where 1 represents "disagree" or "not at all" and 5 represents "completely agree" or "extremely"

    Time frame: At 6 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in quality of life at 3 months

    Difference in quality of life between baseline and 3 months, as measured by the WHOQoL-BREF self-report questionnaire. The WHOQOL-BREF is a self-administered questionnaire comprising 26 questions on the individual's perceptions of their health and well-being over the previous two weeks. Responses to questions are on a 1-5 Likert scale where 1 represents "disagree" or "not at all" and 5 represents "completely agree" or "extremely"

    Time frame: Baseline

  2. Change in quality of life at 3 months

    Difference in quality of life between baseline and 3 months, as measured by the WHOQoL-BREF self-report questionnaire. The WHOQOL-BREF is a self-administered questionnaire comprising 26 questions on the individual's perceptions of their health and well-being over the previous two weeks. Responses to questions are on a 1-5 Likert scale where 1 represents "disagree" or "not at all" and 5 represents "completely agree" or "extremely"

    Time frame: At 3 months

  3. Change in sleep quality at 3 and 6 months compared to baseline.

    The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire measures improvements in sleep quality. It has 19 self-rated questions and 5 questions rated by a bed partner (but only the self-rated questions count) and assesses 7 components of sleep: Subjective Sleep Quality: individual perception of sleep quality, Sleep Latency: how long it takes to fall asleep, Sleep Duration: total hours of sleep per night, Habitual Sleep Efficiency: ratio of hours slept to hours spent in bed, Sleep Disturbances: frequency of problems disrupting sleep (e.g. waking during the night), Use of Sleep Medication: frequency of taking medications to help sleep, Daytime Dysfunction: difficulties staying awake or maintaining enthusiasm during the day due to sleep issues. Each item is scored from 0 (no difficulty) to 3 (severe difficulty). The sum of the 7 scores produces a global score of 0 to 2. Higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality. A global score over 5 is used to identify individuals with poor sleep quality.

    Time frame: Baseline

  4. Change in sleep quality at 3 and 6 months compared to baseline.

    The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire measures improvements in sleep quality. It has 19 self-rated questions and 5 questions rated by a bed partner (but only the self-rated questions count) and assesses 7 components of sleep: Subjective Sleep Quality: individual perception of sleep quality, Sleep Latency: how long it takes to fall asleep, Sleep Duration: total hours of sleep per night, Habitual Sleep Efficiency: ratio of hours slept to hours spent in bed, Sleep Disturbances: frequency of problems disrupting sleep (e.g. waking during the night), Use of Sleep Medication: frequency of taking medications to help sleep, Daytime Dysfunction: difficulties staying awake or maintaining enthusiasm during the day due to sleep issues. Each item is scored from 0 (no difficulty) to 3 (severe difficulty). The sum of the 7 scores produces a global score of 0 to 2. Higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality. A global score over 5 is used to identify individuals with poor sleep quality.

    Time frame: At 3 months

  5. Change in sleep quality at 3 and 6 months compared to baseline.

    The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire measures improvements in sleep quality. It has 19 self-rated questions and 5 questions rated by a bed partner (but only the self-rated questions count) and assesses 7 components of sleep: Subjective Sleep Quality: individual perception of sleep quality, Sleep Latency: how long it takes to fall asleep, Sleep Duration: total hours of sleep per night, Habitual Sleep Efficiency: ratio of hours slept to hours spent in bed, Sleep Disturbances: frequency of problems disrupting sleep (e.g. waking during the night), Use of Sleep Medication: frequency of taking medications to help sleep, Daytime Dysfunction: difficulties staying awake or maintaining enthusiasm during the day due to sleep issues. Each item is scored from 0 (no difficulty) to 3 (severe difficulty). The sum of the 7 scores produces a global score of 0 to 2. Higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality. A global score over 5 is used to identify individuals with poor sleep quality.

    Time frame: At 6 months

  6. Post-traumatic stress at 0, 3, and 6 months using the PCL-5 questionnaire.

    The PCL-5 is a 20-item self-report questionnaire that maps directly to the DSM-5 criteria for Post Traumatic Shock Disorder. Each item asks how much the respondent has been bothered by a specific PTSD symptom over the past month, scored from 0 ("not at all") to 4 ("extremely"). A total symptom severity score (range - 0-80) can be obtained by summing the scores for each of the 20 items. A PCL-5 cutoff score of 31-33 is indicative of probable Post Traumatic Shock Disorder.

    Time frame: Baseline

  7. Post-traumatic stress at 0, 3, and 6 months using the PCL-5 questionnaire.

    The PCL-5 is a 20-item self-report questionnaire that maps directly to the DSM-5 criteria for Post Traumatic Shock Disorder. Each item asks how much the respondent has been bothered by a specific PTSD symptom over the past month, scored from 0 ("not at all") to 4 ("extremely"). A total symptom severity score (range - 0-80) can be obtained by summing the scores for each of the 20 items. A PCL-5 cutoff score of 31-33 is indicative of probable Post Traumatic Shock Disorder.

    Time frame: At 3 months

  8. Post-traumatic stress at 0, 3, and 6 months using the PCL-5 questionnaire.

    The PCL-5 is a 20-item self-report questionnaire that maps directly to the DSM-5 criteria for Post Traumatic Shock Disorder. Each item asks how much the respondent has been bothered by a specific PTSD symptom over the past month, scored from 0 ("not at all") to 4 ("extremely"). A total symptom severity score (range - 0-80) can be obtained by summing the scores for each of the 20 items. A PCL-5 cutoff score of 31-33 is indicative of probable Post Traumatic Shock Disorder.

    Time frame: At 6 months

  9. Types and frequencies of various forms of vulnerability and violence against women

    Types and frequencies of various forms of vulnerability and violence endured by the women will be recorded.

    Time frame: Baseline

  10. Types and frequencies of various forms of vulnerability and violence against women

    Types and frequencies of various forms of vulnerability and violence endured by the women will be recorded.

    Time frame: At 3 months

  11. Types and frequencies of various forms of vulnerability and violence against women

    Types and frequencies of various forms of vulnerability and violence endured by the women will be recorded.

    Time frame: At 6 months

  12. Types of treatments and care pathways used, and assessment of patient adherence

    Types of treatments and care pathways used, and patient adherence to these treatments will be recorded.

    Time frame: Baseline

  13. Types of treatments and care pathways used, and assessment of patient adherence

    Types of treatments and care pathways used, and patient adherence to these treatments will be recorded.

    Time frame: At 3 months

  14. Types of treatments and care pathways used, and assessment of patient adherence

    Types of treatments and care pathways used, and patient adherence to these treatments will be recorded.

    Time frame: At 6 months

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • CHU de Nîmes
    Nîmes, France
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

1 registry update since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedDate before it movedWhere the date was before it moved

Started Sep 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2027, 15 months after the start.

Since we started tracking on Sep 25, 2026, the dates moved once, on Nov 13, 2026: primary completion Nov 2026 → Dec 2027 and completion May 2027 → Jun 2028.

Earlier changes are on the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jul 8, 2026
First posted
Jul 14, 2026
StartActual
Sep 7, 2026
Primary completionEst.
Dec 31, 2027was Nov 2026
CompletionEst.
Jun 15, 2028was May 2027
Last update
Nov 13, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
Status
Not yet recruiting→Recruiting
changed Nov 13, 2026
Sites
1 site added — first site in France
Show site
  • CHU de Nîmes · Nîmes, France
Nov 13, 2026
Start date
Sep 15, 2026→Sep 7, 2026 (actual)
Nov 13, 2026
Primary completion
Nov 15, 2026→Dec 31, 2027
Nov 13, 2026
Study completion
May 15, 2027→Jun 15, 2028
Nov 13, 2026
Show all 1 update
  1. Nov 13, 2026
    Not yet recruiting→Recruiting
    1 site added — first site in France
    Show site
    • CHU de Nîmes · Nîmes, France
    Start date Sep 15, 2026→Sep 7, 2026 (now actual)
    Primary completion Nov 15, 2026→Dec 31, 2027
    Study completion May 15, 2027→Jun 15, 2028
    + 1 other change: verification date

From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07701629
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jul 14, 2026
Start date
Sep 7, 2026
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Jun 15, 2028 (estimated)
Last update
Nov 13, 2026

Study contacts

Sylvie RIPART, Dr.
Contact
sylvie.ripart@chu-nimes.fr
+336.87.70.13.02
Clémence CASARA, Midwife
Contact
clemence.casara@chu-nimes.fr
+334.66.68.67.52

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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