Striving to make a difference: health care worker experiences with intimate partner violence clients in Tanzania.

In this article we describe health care workers' (HCWs') experiences and perceptions of meeting clients exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). Qualitative content analysis of in-depth interviews from 16 informants resulted in four main themes. The first, "internalizing women's suffering and powerlessness," describes HCWs' perceptions of violence, relating it to gender relations. The second, "caught between encouraging disclosure and lack of support tools," refers to views on possibilities for transparency and openness. The third, "Why bother? A struggle to manage with limited resources," illustrates the consequences of a heavy workload. Last; "striving to make a difference," emphasizes a desire to improve abilities to support clients and advocate for prevention.