SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST FEMALE YOUTH IN JIMMA TOWN: PREVALENCE, RISK FACTORS AND CONSEQUENCES

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Sexual violence is a serious public health problem affecting millions of women each year throughout the world. In Ethiopia however, knowledge of the magnitude and characteristics of sexual violence against women is limited because of the limited population-based researches on the subject. This study was done with the objective of exploring the magnitude of sexual violence, its outcomes and factors associated with sexual violence against female youths in Jimme town.

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 588 female youths aged 15-24 years in Jimma town in March 2003. A systematic sampling procedure was applied to select the study units. Data was collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire, and analyzed using SPSS version 10.

RESULTS: The study showed that 15.3% of the youth had experienced rape, 17.7% had experienced attempted rape, 28.4% physical assault (beating), 3.6% forced marriage and 78.7% had experienced female genital mutilation in their lifetime. Among the victims of rape, 21% had experienced unwanted pregnancy, 10% had abortion and 16.7% experienced unusual discharge from the genitalia. Psychological outcomes like fear and anxiety, self-blame, low self-esteem and suicide attempt were reported by 68%, 53% 41% and 8% of the rape victims; respectively. Threats of harm, use of physical force and use were the major contributing factors among raped adolescents in this study. On the logistic regression analysis early sexual initiation, number of sexual pa living arrangements and use of alcohol are the main risk factors that increased the girl's vulnerability to rape.

CONCLUSION: sexual violence is a public health problem among the youth in the study area. Hence, appropriate intervention like sex education, improving law enforcement related to sexual violence and teaching life skills which help young women to prevent sexual assault are recommended.