Using reproductive health services to address sexual and gender-based violence in post-conflict northern Uganda.

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorOpiro, Keneth
dc.contributor.authorPebalo, Francis Pebolo
dc.contributor.authorScolding, Neil
dc.contributor.authorHardy, Charlotte
dc.date.accessioned2022-06-01T18:43:07Z
dc.date.available2022-06-01T18:43:07Z
dc.date.issued2019
dc.description.abstractSexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), including rape and child sexual abuse, remains a significant challenge in post-conflict northern Uganda, including within refugee settlements. Many victims have never sought help from health-related services. Consequently, the scale of the problem is unknown, and SGBV victims’ injuries, both psychological and physical, remain undetected and unaddressed. We hypothesized that health workers in rural Reproductive Health Services could provide a valuable resource for SGBV screening and subsequent referral for support.Our project had three elements. First, Reproductive Health Service workers were trained in the knowledge and skills needed to screen for and identify women who had experienced SGBV, using a questionnaire-based approach. Second, the screening questionnaire was used by reproductive health workers over a 3-month period, and the data analysed to explore the scale and nature of the problem. Third, victims detected were offered referral as appropriate to hospital services and/or the ActionAid SURGE (Strengthening Uganda’s Response to Gender Equality) shelter in Gulu.1656 women were screened. 778 (47%) had a history of SGBV, including 123 victims of rape and 505 victims of non-sexual violence. 1,254 (76%) had been directly or indirectly affected by conflict experiences; 1066 had lived in IDP camps. 145 (9%) were referred at their request to Gulu SGBV Shelter under SURGE. Of these, 25 attended the shelter and received assistance, and a further 20 received telephone counselling.Undetected SGBV remains a problem in post-conflict northern Uganda. Reproductive Health Service workers, following specific training, can effectively screen for and identify otherwise unreportedand unassisted cases of SGBV. Future work will explore scaling up to include screening in hospital A&E departments, incorporate approaches to screening for male victims, and the impact of taking both screening and support services to rural communities through local clinics with mobile teams.en_US
dc.identifier.citationOpiro, K., Pebalo, F. P., Scolding, N., & Hardy, C. (2019). Using reproductive health services to address sexual and gender-based violence in post-conflict northern Uganda.https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.2.14293/v1en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://nru.uncst.go.ug/handle/123456789/3645
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherReesearchSquareen_US
dc.titleUsing reproductive health services to address sexual and gender-based violence in post-conflict northern Uganda.en_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Using reproductive health services to address.pdf
Size:
278.05 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Using reproductive health services to address sexual and gender-based violence in post-conflict northern Uganda
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Medical and Health Sciences