he Sexual Violence in Chile Between the Years 2017-2020: An Observational Analysis of the Emergency Service

Abstract

Introduction: Sexual violence is any sexual act, attempt or suggestion not consented by the victim. It’s currently recognized as a public health problem in emergency services in Chile. Therefore, the purpose of the following work is to determine the percentage distribution of emergency care due to sexual violence during the period 2017-2020 in Chile.

Material and methods: Descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study on emergency department care for sexual violence in Chile during the years 2017-2020, according to sex, age, region, suspicion of penetration, timing of the event, delivery of contraceptive, prophylaxis against HIV and victim-victimizer relationship. Data from the Department of Statistics and Health Information and INE were used, to which descriptive statistics were applied. It did not require evaluation by an ethics committee.

Results: A higher prevalence was determined in 20219 with XX% of care, more frequently in women, people between 10 and 14 years old and residents in the Bio-Bio region, representing XX%, YY% and ZZ % of cases, respectively. Acute cases were more prevalent at 72.75%. 27.2% received emergency contraceptives and 36% received HIV prophylaxis. 37.8% of the perpetrators were acquaintances.

Discussion and conclusion: The increase in cases until 2019 could be due to greater awareness among victims, while the decrease in 2020 is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority are women and minors, evidencing marked gender inequality, associated with physical and emotional vulnerability. The delivery of contraceptives and prophylaxis increased possibly due to improvements in public policies. The findings obtained highlight the importance of policies that address sexual violence and promote gender equity.