C Kavalci - Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Emergency Department, Ankara, Turkey
MB Sayhan - Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, Emergency Department , Edirne, Turkey
G Akdur - Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, Emergency Department , Edirne, Turkey
E Sayhan - Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Edirne, Turkey

Objective: In this article, epidemiologic features of the patients suffered from sexuelabuse referred to our emergency department were evaluated. We aimed to evaluatediagnosed as sexual abuse and to enhance the importance of this subject.Materials and Methods: The study was designed retrospectively by examining thefiles of the patients who were admitted to our department suffered from sexuel abusebetween 2005 – 2010. The data were collected from official hospital police sheets anddepartment of forensic medicine archive. Features such as age, gender, admission time,complaint, physical examination findings of the patients and distribution of personsengaged in sexual abuse were recorded. Results were expressed as mean ± standarddeviation or as number (percentage). All statistical analyses were done using theprogram SPSS 15.00 for Windows.Results: Twenty cases were included into the study. Of the cases; 80 % were female(n=16). Mean age was 16.15±7.56 years. When patients were classified according tocomplaint; 6 (30 %) were buggery, 5 (25 %) harassment by hand and 9 (45 %) wereviolate.Conclusions: Sexual assault is a major social and public health problem. Sexual assaulthas an increasing significance in the world and Turkey in the recent years. Althoughboth men and women can be sexually assaulted, women are at greatest risk. Also undereighteen age people are exposed to sexual assault.

Nurse, violence, hospital, working period