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

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.

Dynamics of the experience of sexual violence and its impact on girls in Ogan Komering Ulu Regency

“…Emotionally, children as victims of sexual violence experience stress, depression, mental shock, feelings of guilt and self-blame, fear of relating to other people, images of incidents when children receive sexual violence, nightmares, insomnia, fear of things related to abuse includes objects, smells, places, doctor visits, self-esteem problems, sexual dysfunction, chronic pain, addiction, suicidal ideation, somatic complaints, and unwanted pregnancy. Apart from that, psychological disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, other mental illnesses including personality disorders and dissociative identity disorders, a tendency to revictimization in adulthood, bulimia nervosa, and even physical injuries to children appear (Xodo et al, 2024).…”