Study of the factors associated with the delay of health consultation of victims of rape in Senegal

Abstract Introduction Rape remains one of the most serious forms of sexual violence because of its negative impact on the physical and mental health of victims. The objective of this study is to identify the factors associated with the delay of consultation of victims of rape at the level of health structures at the level of health facilities in Senegal. Methodology A retrospective, descriptive and analytical observation study was conducted. The study population consisted of all the court files of girls or women victims of rape recorded during the period from 2006 to 2015. An exhaustive recruitment of all the files of the girls or women victims of rapes answering the criteria of inclusion has been made. The uni and multivariate analyzes were carried out respectively using the software Epi Info 2000 and R 2.2.9. Results At the end of the collection, 1,037 cases of rape were enlisted at the national level. The average consultation time at the health facility level was 14.6 days ± (37.9). The delay in consultation (> 24 hours) was noted in 38.6% of victims of rape. Victims of rape residing in the southern axes (ORaj = 4,31 [1,15-16,14]), north (ORaj = 4,22 [1,26-14,14]), major (ORaj = 1, 67 [1.04-2.68]), married (ORaj = 3.44 [1.58-7.5]) with pregnancy after the aggression (ORaj = 34.03 [15.47-74.85 ]) or an abortion (ORaj = 5.45 [1.04-24.47]) were more at risk of delaying consultation after rape. Conclusions The delay of consultation makes difficult the medical and judicial care of the victim of rape. Thus, it is important for health and judicial authorities to raise awareness about the harmful consequences of sexual violence and the therapeutic benefits and the reparation of the harm suffered by the victim in case of rape. Key messages Rape. Violence.