The Prevalence Rape and the Associated Factors among girls and women
attending the Emergency Gynecology Clinic, Yirgalem General Hospital, Southern
Ethiopia

Sexual assault is an important form of sexual violence that affects women worldwide. Rape is a very serious public health problem in Ethiopia, since the country is famous for the practice of marriage by abduction.

Objective

The study aimed to determine the prevalence of rape and the associated factors among females attending the emergency gynecology clinic at the Yirgalem General Hospital, Southern Ethiopia.

Methods

A retrospective study was carried out in the emergency gynecology clinic between January 2016 and December 2017. Health Management Systems (HMS) data were retrieved and analyzed following standard methodologies.

Results

Of 1, 311 gynecology emergencies, 118 (9%) cases were rape. All survivors of sexual assault were women with a majority (53.4%) were less than 15 years old and had less education. With regard to marital status, over eighty nine percent of the survivors were not married. More than 50% of the assaults were committed rape in the survivors' house and 73% of the survivors were assaulted during day time. Over forty six point six percent of the survivors were raped by their neighbors and 71.1% of the cases were assaulted by people they know. Conclusion

A considerable proportion of clients with gynecological emergencies have violated. There was a delay in informing health institutions. The community should be encouraged to help survivors’ present cases earlier in the health institution to prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

Keywords: Rape, Yirgalem, Prevalence, Female, Sexual Violence