Background: Sexual abuse (SA) is a common problem. As the primary confidant, the general practitioner (GP) has a valuable role in identifying a history of abuse, specifically with regard to the commonly performed pelvic examination for cervical cancer screening. Objectives: This study focused on GPs’ practice patterns, knowledge, training need and barriers concerning asking patients about SA. Furthermore, it was investigated who performs the cervical smear within the practice and if SA is taken into consideration. Methods: The authors constructed a 31-item questionnaire, which was sent to a group of 730 Dutch GPs in September 2012. Results: The response rate was 49.3%. Half of the 357 responding GPs asked their patients about SA sometimes. The majority (76.2%) stated they had some knowledge of SA. The most important barriers for not asking were ‘no angle or motive for asking’ (81.6%), ‘presence of third parties’ (73.1%), and ‘not enough training’ (54.1%). In most practices (84.3%), the nurse practitioner ...