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Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Vol. 27, No. 4, 247-253 (1999)
DOI: 10.1177/14034948990270040801
© 1999 Associations of Public Health in the Nordic Countries Regions

Prevalence of sexualized violence among women

A population-based study in a primary healthcare district

Gunilla Risberg

Department of Family Medicine, UmeÅ University, UmeÅ, guarig97{at}student.umu.se

Eva Lundgren

Department of Sociology, Uppsala University, Uppsala

Göran Westman

Department of Family Medicine, UmeÅ University, UmeÅ, Sweden

In order to estimate the prevalence of sexual and physical abuse, postal questionnaires were sent to a random sample of 251 adult women in a primary care district. Three yes/no-questions were asked on these topics, and a fourth inquired into effects on health. Space was left for open-ended answers in which yes-responders were invited to write about their experiences. A total of 175 women (70%) answered, and 25 (14%) of these reported abuse. Nine (5%) had experienced women battering. Thirteen (7.5%) reported sexual abuse as an adult, and 12 (7%) as a child. Many told their stories. Methodological shortcomings in this study might explain why the rates are somewhat lower than in other investigations. However, our figures verified that abuse of women is a common social phenomenon. They also confirmed abuse as a major health problem for women. One-third of respondents explicitly reported effects on health. Others, though negating such effects, described them in written narratives. In order to study this contradiction, in-depth interviews with abused women are recommended.

Key Words: childhood sexual abuse • population-based study • primary care • questionnaire • sexual abuse • sexualized violence • women battering.


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