Abstract
Introduction: Sexual abuse of minors is a topical issue in our regions.
Objective: To study the epidemiological and clinical aspects of sexual abuse of minors at the Mouila Regional Hospital in 2022.
Patients and method: This was a prospective cross-sectional descriptive study. It was conducted from 1 January to 31 December 2022 in the Gynaecology-Obstetrics Department of the Mouila Regional Hospital. The study included all victims under the age of eighteen who were seen for a gynaecological consultation with a judicial requisition addressed to a qualified person for a medical examination following a report of sexual abuse. The data was collected and reported on a pre-established data collection form. They were entered and processed using epi info software version 7.2.2.6.
Results: The prevalence of sexual abuse of minors was 4.23%, the average age of the victims was 12 years, with extremes of 2 and 17 years, and a sex ratio of 9.5 in favor of girls. The assaults were committed at a neighbor’s house (44%) by people close to the victim (95.24%) and during the day (92.06%). Rape was the most common form of assault (69.84%), followed by hymenal tears (60.32%). Post-traumatic stress (37.5%) and infanticide were the major complications.
Conclusion: Sexual abuse of minors is common. It has serious consequences that can be lethal.
Keywords
Sexual abuse, Minors, Infanticide, Gabon