AdekolaPaul_2024_Review Protocol.docx

Violent conflicts have caused several challenges to internally displaced persons (IDPs) especially girls and young women, among which is sexual violence (SV). Despite huge records on SV in humanitarian contexts, studies to assess the level, examine disclosure pattern (DP) and evaluate the availability of abortion care in these settings have received inadequate attention. This scoping review sought to synthesize the current African-based research on SV, DP and abortion and post-abortion care (APAC) in humanitarian contexts. We conducted a systematic search of five databases: MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Google Scholar where articles were retrieved for this study. The review adhered to PRISMA guidelines and included quality appraisal. Results described situations of SV in humanitarian settings in Africa as “terrible”, “bad”, “an epidemic”, and “severe” as girls were used as sex objects for profile enhancement and as a weapon of war. We also found that the illegality of APAC in Africa is causing a high occurrence of clandestine abortion in conflict contexts. Disclosing SV among IDPs in Africa did not follow a particular clear-cut pattern but is generally determined by socio-demographic characteristics. We conclude that even though disclosure may aggravate stigmatization in certain cases due to negative reactions, it is still crucial to healing processes.