Original article Analysis of the Patients Presenting to our Emergency Department due to Sexual Assault

Objective: In this article, epidemiologic features of the patients suffered from sexuel abuse referred to our emergency department were evaluated. We aimed to evaluate diagnosed as sexual abuse and to enhance the importance of this subject. Materials and Methods: The study was designed retrospectively by examining the files of the patients who were admitted to our department suffered from sexuel abuse between 2005 – 2010. The data were collected from official hospital police sheets and department of forensic medicine archive. Features such as age, gender, admission time, complaint, physical examination findings of the patients and distribution of persons engaged in sexual abuse were recorded. Results were expressed as mean ± standard deviation or as number (percentage). All statistical analyses were done using the program SPSS 15.00 for Windows. Results: Twenty cases were included into the study. Of the cases; 80 % were female (n=16). Mean age was 16.15±7.56 years. When patients were classified according to complaint; 6 (30 %) were buggery, 5 (25 %) harassment by hand and 9 (45 %) were violate. Conclusions: Sexual assault is a major social and public health problem. Sexual assault has an increasing significance in the world and Turkey in the recent years. Although both men and women can be sexually assaulted, women are at greatest risk. Also under eighteen age people are exposed to sexual assault.