Female Sexual Violence: A 12-Year Experience at a Single University Hospital in North-East Italy

Serena Xodo (), Veronica Tius, Giovanni Baccarini and Lorenza Driul
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Serena Xodo: Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Udine, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale, Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia 15, 33100 Udine, Italy
Veronica Tius: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
Giovanni Baccarini: Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Udine, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale, Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia 15, 33100 Udine, Italy
Lorenza Driul: Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Udine, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale, Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia 15, 33100 Udine, Italy

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: This retrospective study analyzed a case series of female sexual violence (SV) victims who were admitted to the emergency department of the University Hospital in Udine between January 2012 and April 2023. A total of 155 cases were divided into two groups according to their age: 115 adult victims and 40 minors. Compared with minors, adults had risk factors such as psychiatric disorders and past experience of SV, and reported bodily injuries and extragenital lesions more frequently. Moreover, a positive screening for sexually transmitted diseases and its association with genital injuries turned out to be significantly more present among adult victims than minors. In contrast, victims younger than 18 years tended to delay seeking medical help and more often did not report genital penetration. To conclude, a deeper knowledge of the different characteristics of sexual abuse among female adults and minors may help us to understand what the focus of prevention programs and public awareness campaigns should be.

Keywords: sexual violence; physical violence; abuse (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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