TIME LAPSED BETWEEN SEXUAL AGGRESSION AND ARRIVAL AT THE BRAZILIAN HEALTH SERVICE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7322/jhgd.50390Keywords:
public health, women health, sexual violence, prevention and control, HIV infectionAbstract
Background: We aimed to describe the social, demographic and medical characteristics of victims ofsexual violence and their association with the lapsed time between the aggression and the searchfor medical attention, and to identify the possible reasons for delay in access to hospital. Methods:We reviewed the records of 439 female cases of sexual violence, treated through the medical servicesin Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, during an eight-year period, from 2000 to 2007. Results: Of the439 patients, 374 arrived at the hospital within 72 hours after the aggression. The average age was24.5 years; 45.1% completed or were finishing high school. The most common form of sexualaggression was vaginal penetration in 43.9% of the cases, followed by multiple forms of penetrationsuch as vaginal plus anal, or vaginal plus oral in 31.4% of the patients. Patients who did not sufferextra-genital injury and those who did not notify the authorities were significantly more likely topresent to care after 72 hours: OR = 2.58 (95%CI: 1.04; 6.38) and OR = 2.74 (95%CI: 1.58; 4.78)respectively. Patients who had prior knowledge of their aggressor were significantly less likely topresent after 72 hours (OR = 0.51; 95%CI: 0.28; 0.96). Conclusions: patients who suffered fromextra-genital trauma and those who notified the authorities were more likely to seek care within 72hours whereas patients who knew their aggressor were more likely to suffer the consequences ofseeking care later than 72 hours. Public policies and efforts to educate women about the seriousnessof this crime and encourage them to notify the authorities and seek care immediately following theaggression, may reduce the complications involving such crime.References
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