Sexual violence: evaluation of cases and care for women in specialized and non-specialized health services

Abstract The objective was to characterize the cases of sexual violence (SV) against women in Minas Gerais state, associating the care provided in cases of rape with the type of health service that provided the care (specialized or not). The Notifiable Diseases Information System was used for data referring to the notification of SV among women (age ≥10 years old), which occurred in 2017, and the National Registry of Health Facilities for information on the type of health service. The SV occurred mainly among women under 29 years old (77.1%), blacks (61.1%), singles (69.7%), and with low education (42.4%). Rape was the most frequent SV (73.5%), with the majority being notified within 72 hours of the occurrence. For all the procedures recommended for acute situations of SV, there was an association between attendance at a specialized service and a greater chance of carrying out the planned procedures. The only exception was abortion permitted by law. The results demonstrated the importance of continuing investment in the qualification and expansion of the SV care network and the importance of a better territorial distribution of reference services in Minas Gerais.