Experiences of sexual violence among women seeking services at a family planning unit in Sweden

Abstract

Background: Experiences of sexual violence among women can lead to ill health and increase the risk of lifetime co-occurrence of violence. Identifying risk factors and victims facilitates development of effective programmes for treatment and prevention of additional violence. The primary aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and correlates of sexual violence experiences among women seeking care at a family planning unit in Sweden. A secondary aim was to examine associations between sexual violence and other types of violence.

Methods: Women (n = 1226) seeking services at a family planning unit, Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden, answered a questionnaire and were interviewed about experiences of sexual violence. Bivariate associations were examined using the chi-square test.

Results: Experiences of sexual violence were reported by 27% of the participants, of which 57% were exposed when they were younger than 18 years old. Women with experiences of sexual violence were more likely to have lower education (P = 0.024), were students or without occupation (P = 0.037), and were not in a current relationship (P < 0.001). Women with experiences of non-partner sexual violence were more likely to have experiences of intimate partner violence (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Prevalence of sexual violence was high among the respondents. Many women were young when they were exposed to violence, and lifetime co-occurrence of violence was common among women with experiences of non-partner sexual violence.