This paper deals with the possibilities of the health sector to approach violence against women in its practices as a gender issue. It is presented a conceptual and theoretical comprehension of gender violence linked to a care proposal, as the definition of the problem is essential to the intervention, answering to different social ends. To do that, is necessary to think what the objectives of the work in health are and where it is placed within the production and reproduction of the ways of living and falling ill. It is argued the possibility of full assistance, in order that violence itself, and not only its repercussions, are considered in the health work. The proposal of care for sexual violence in Brazil is recovered, and a model of primary health care implemented at Samuel B. Pessoa Health School Center is presented. This model is integrated in the Women’s Integral Health Care Program (PAISM) and attends women in severe domestic conflicts (CONFAD) conceptualized as a specific technique of detection, listening and counseling, featuring a “chat technique” as a professional action. To conclude, aspects related to the connections of the health sector with the intersectorial network are discussed presenting its principal difficulties.
Primary health care; Domestic violence; Violence against women; Intimate partner violence; Women’s health services