ABSTRACT
In the UK, refugee women face overwhelming obstacles to their health and well-being. Many have been through traumatic events and experiences, and exile and loss will add to their suffering when they are here. The refugee experience in the UK is not a comfortable one. The refugee woman will have had a unique series of experiences that will have affected her prior to her encounter with the healthcare professional. Detention also signifies the loss of hope of any improvement in the political situation, and it is often the catalyst that makes a woman flee. Torture is common in repressive regimes. It frequently occurs during detention, and women are tortured as often as men. It would be impossible to determine how many refugee women have been tortured, as there is great stigma attached to it and many would never speak of their experiences, even to loved ones.
