Report of the FIGO Working Group on Sexual Violence/HIV: Guidelines for the management of female survivors of sexual assault

Jina, Ruxana; Jewkes, Rachel; Munjanja, Stephen P.; Mariscal, José David Ortiz; Dartnall, Elizabeth; Gebrehiwot, Yirgu

doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2010.02.001

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Volume 109, Issue 2 , Pages 85-92, May 2010

Report of the FIGO Working Group on Sexual Violence/HIV: Guidelines for the management of female survivors of sexual assault

Ruxana Jina
- School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Corresponding author.
Rachel Jewkes
- Gender and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
Stephen P. Munjanja
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
José David Ortiz Mariscal
- Capacitación, tecnología y derechos reproductivos aplicados a servicios de salud, Asociación Civil (CATEDRA A.C.) Monterrey, México
Elizabeth Dartnall
- Gender and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
Yirgu Gebrehiwot
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

published online 08 March 2010.

Abstract

Objective

To review the evidence and provide guidelines on the management of sexual violence against women, specifically, rape.

Outcomes

Outcomes evaluated include effectiveness of post-rape care provision.

Evidence

The MEDLINE database was searched for articles published up to December 2008 on the topic of post-rape care and expert opinion was sought from the Sexual Violence Research Initiative membership. In addition, a search was performed for English-language protocols on Google. One Spanish language protocol was considered in the development of the guidelines.

Values

The evidence was evaluated by authors and reviewers of the South African Department of Health’s sexual assault curriculum, and by members of the FIGO Working Group and recommendations were made according to the guidelines developed by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care.

Benefits, Harms, and Costs

Implementation of the recommendations in this Guideline should result in more appropriate management of survivors of sexual violence and better physical and psychological outcomes.

Keywords: Emergency contraception, Forensic examination, Post exposure prophylaxis, Psychological counseling, Rape, Sexual violence