Sexual Assault and Associated Factors among Women: A Cross-Sectional Study in Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##
Abstract
Background: Sexual assault is a major form of sexual violence affecting one out of every five women in the world and it has many consequences including sexually transmitted infections, posttraumatic stress disorder and risk of unintended pregnancy. Thus, this study was aimed to assess the magnitude, complication and factors associated with sexual assault among women who visited gynecologic outpatient department of Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital.
Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1 to October 30, 2019. Self-administered questionnaire developed from “WHO multi-country study on women health” and from “sexual violence medical evaluation certificate format” was used to collect data. Descriptive analysis was done on sexual assault related characteristics and binary and multivariate logistic regression analysis were done to identify factors associated with sexual assault.
Results: The prevalence of sexual assault was 10.8% (n=43). Some 79.1% (n=34) of survivors were under the age of 18 years. 25% (n=7) of the survivors tested for pregnancy were positive and some 7% (n=3) of each were positive for Hepatitis B and Trichomonas vaginalis. Woman who was less than 18 years old [aOR=10.7, 95%CI (3.37, 33.85)], unmarried [aOR=9.2, 95% CI (2.11, 40.42)], had primary level of education [aOR=8.9, 95% CI (2.37, 33.06)] and a monthly income less than 1500 birr [aOR=6.7, 95% CI (1.54, 29.50)] had higher odds of experiencing sexual assault than their counterparts who were adult, married, secondary- or higher-level of education and a monthly income more than 1500 birr.
Conclusions: In this study, Age, marital status, monthly income and educational level were significantly associated with sexual assault.
Key words: Women, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexually transmitted infection.
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##
Women, Pregnancy, Sexual Assault, Sexually Transmitted Infection
2. Garcia-Moreno, C., et al., Prevalence of intimate partner violence: findings from the WHO multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence. The lancet, 2006. 368(9543): p. 1260-1269.
3. Linden, J.A., Care of the adult patient after sexual assault. New England Journal of Medicine, 2011. 365(9): p. 834-841.
4. Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia and ICF. Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Rockville, Maryland, USA: CSA and ICF, 2016.
5. Kaitlin A. Chivers-Wilson. Sexual assault and posttraumatic stress disorder: A review of the biological, psychological and sociological factors and treatments. McGill Journal of Medicine, 2006; 9(2): 113-118.
6. ACOG Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women, Committee opinion sexual assault.
7. Refugee Council. The Vulnerable Women’s Project. Refugee and Asylum Seeking Women Affected by Rape or Sexual Violence: Literature Review. London: Refugee Council; 2009.
8. Bayu, Hinsermu, et al. Magnitude, Complication and factors Associated with Rape among Women visited Gynecologic Outpatient Departments of Selected Hospital in Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia, 2016.
9. Nimani W, Hamdela B (2015) Sexual Violence and Associated Factors among High School Students in Butajira Town, South Ethiopia. Gen Med (Los Angel) 3: 1000196. doi:10.4172/2327-5146.1000196.
10. Takele A and Setegn T. Sexual Coercion and Associated Factors among Female Students of Madawalabu University, Southeast Ethiopia. Advances in Public Health, 2014: 417517. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/417517.
11. Shimekaw B, Megabiaw B and Alamrew Z. Prevalence and associated factors of sexual violence among private college female students in Bahir Dar city, North Western Ethiopia. Health, 2013; 5(6): 1069-1075. doi:10.4236/health.2013.56143.
12. Amenu D and Hiko D. Sexual assault: Pattern and related complications among cases managed in Jimma University Specialized Hospital. Ethiopian J health sciences, 2014; 24(1): 3-14.
13. Gessessew A and Mesfin M. Rape and related helath problems in Adigrat Zonal Hospital, Tigray Region, Ethiopia. Ethiop.J.Health Dev. 2004;18(3):140-144.
14. Galu SB, Gebru HB, Abebe YT et al. Factors associated with sexual violence among female administrative staff of Mekelle University, North Ethiopia. BMC Res Notes (2020) 13:15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-019-4860-5.
15. Saidi, H., K.O. Awori, and P. Odula, Gender-associated violence at a women's hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. East African medical journal, 2008. 85(7): 347-354.