Who consults for rape? Sociodemographic characteristics of rape victims attending a medical rape trauma service at the Emergency Hospital in Oslo

Abstract

Objective - To consider the number of victims of rape and attempted rape in a city (Oslo) who sought treatment when medical help had been made available. To examine the sociodemographic characteristics of the patient group that applied for help.

Design - Prospective study.

Setting - A rape trauma service (RTS) established at the Emergency Hospital in Oslo. The service is free, open around the dock, and independent of police notification.

Participitants - All patients attending RTS from 1 January to 31 December.

Results - 164 women and four men applied for medical treatment in 1987, four times as many as in 1985, before RTS was started. Their ages varied between 14 and 89 years, with a median of 27 years. Women aged 14–39 years were significantly over-represented in relation to the general female population of Oslo. Married women were significantly under-represented among the female patients, both married women raped by their spouses and married women raped by other men. 45 patients stated that they had been sexually assaulted on a previous occasion without reporting the incident or applying for help.

Conclusion - Compared with the police an available medical service for rape victims reached four times as many rape victims as in 1985, from a larger share of the population.

Key Words:

• rape victims
• medical services for rape trauma
• sociodemographic data
• tendency to seek help