For some people gender identity and/or gender expression differs from their birth sex or they are outside the gender binary system of male and female (as opposed to cisgender - someone who identifies with the sex they were assigned at birth). This site uses the word Trans* for these people.
Trans* people disproportionately suffer abuse from their partners. A 2012 study (McNeil et al) showed that 80% of trans* people experience Domestic Violence but there are virtually no Domestic Violence services specifically designed to incorporate the experiences and realities of trans* people. Many services for victims of domestic violence state they are for men or women and use language that refers to either males or females. This can make trans* people feel excluded from services.
Consideration also needs to be given to language used to describe sexual abuse or violence as this may have occured when the victim identified as a different gender to how they identify now. Using certain words (for example, to describe genitalia) may make them feel especially uncomfortable.