Sexual abuse during childhood and adolescence among Nicaraguan men and women: A population-based anonymous survey

Aims: The objective was to describe experiences of sexual abuse occurring b efore 19 years of age among men and women in Leon, Nicaragua and to explore the possible association to later sexual risk behavior. Method: A sub-sample of literate urban men and women 25-44 years of age was selected from a representative sample of households in Leon. After an invi tation to a public health event, 154 men (53% of the invited) and 213 women (66% of those invited) participated in giving written answers to an anonym ous questionnaire. Results: Twenty percent of men and 26% of women reported that they had expe rienced sexual abuse. Women had been victims of attempted or completed rape twice as often as men. 15% as compared to 7%. Thirty-three percent of the abuse towards boys and 66% of the abuse towards girls was committed by fami ly members. Women who had experienced attempted or completed rape were more likely to later have had a higher number of sexual partners compared to no n-abused or moderately abused women. Conclusions: Sexual abuse of children and adolescents of both sexes is comm on in Nicaragua. The results underscore the urgent need to address this ser ious problem more openly, and to make more resources available for the prev ention of sexual abuse and for support to victims. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scienc e Ltd.