Victims demographic characteristics.

Since 2017, six specialized care units, the USPEC (Unités Spéciales de Prise en Charge) have been implemented in Mauritanian hospitals with the support of the international organization Médicos del Mundo. They provide healthcare and comprehensive assistance to victims of gender-based violence (GBV), such as sexual violence (SV), intimate-partner violence (IPV), female genital mutilation (FGM), adolescent pregnancy and child marriage. In this retrospective, observational study, we investigated the caseload of the six USPEC countrywide between January 1st, 2018, and June 30th, 2023. We analyzed consultation data, victims’ sociodemographic characteristics, types of violence they were subjected to, specific patterns–location, relationship with the perpetrator, reoccurrence–, and medical care they received. 3550 cases were attended to, with a threefold increase in the mean number of monthly cases between 2018 and 2023. Women and girls accounted for 95.1% of victims; 78.7% were under 18 years old and 21.9% were under 12. All male victims (n = 172) were children. SV represented 79.8% of the caseload, early marriage/pregnancy 10.4%, IPV 7%, and FGM 0.7%. 80% of perpetrators were known to the victims, and the acts of violence had taken place in the victims´ own home for 60%. The proportion of cases received within 72 hours increased noticeably within the first two years before stabilizing at an average 81.3%. 7.21% of patients received local or surgical treatment and 1.8% were hospitalized. After SV, 996 received emergency contraception while 627, who sought care with delay, were already pregnant. Our findings suggest that the USPEC model responds to both victims’ and the health system’s needs to address GBV. Prevention, declaration and follow-up of pregnancy as a result of SV in young girls, likely constituted a major motivation for healthcare-seeking, yet more research is needed to document bottlenecks faced by GBV victims to access such services.

自2017年起，在国际组织世界医师组织（Médicos del Mundo）的支持下，毛里塔尼亚境内多家医院设立了6个专项救治单元（Unités Spéciales de Prise en Charge，以下简称USPEC），为基于性别的暴力（gender-based violence, GBV）受害者提供医疗救治与综合援助，服务对象涵盖性暴力（sexual violence, SV）、亲密伴侣暴力（intimate-partner violence, IPV）、女性生殖器切割（female genital mutilation, FGM）、青少年妊娠及童婚的受害者。本项回顾性观察研究针对2018年1月1日至2023年6月30日期间全国范围内6家USPEC的接诊病例开展了调查。研究分析了就诊数据、受害者的社会人口学特征、所遭受的暴力类型、暴力相关特征（包括施暴地点、受害者与施暴者的关系、暴力复发情况）以及受害者接受的医疗救治服务。此研究周期内共计接诊3550例病例，2018年至2023年间月度平均接诊量增长至原来的三倍。受害者群体中，女性及女童占比达95.1%；其中78.7%的受害者年龄不足18岁，21.9%不足12岁，所有男性受害者（n=172）均为儿童。病例构成方面，性暴力占比79.8%，早婚/早孕占10.4%，亲密伴侣暴力占7%，女性生殖器切割占0.7%。80%的施暴者为受害者熟识之人，60%的暴力行为发生在受害者的住所内。72小时内就诊的病例占比在最初两年内显著提升，之后稳定在81.3%的平均水平。7.21%的患者接受了局部或手术治疗，1.8%的患者需住院治疗。在性暴力受害者中，996人接受了紧急避孕干预，另有627名因就诊延迟而已妊娠的受害者寻求了医疗援助。研究结果显示，USPEC模式能够同时满足基于性别的暴力受害者与医疗系统应对此类暴力的需求。针对未成年女孩因性暴力导致的妊娠进行预防、报备及随访，或为推动受害者就医的核心动因之一，但目前仍需开展更多研究以明确基于性别的暴力受害者获取此类服务所面临的各类瓶颈。