Yode Miangotar, Ekofo Felly, Mudekereza Mihigo Blaise
Center for Research and Study of African Populations and Societies, University of N'Djamena, N'Djamena, Chad.
National Program of AIDS Control, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Front Reprod Health. 2024 Dec 11;6:1437225. doi: 10.3389/frph.2024.1437225. eCollection 2024.
During adolescence, due to lack of experience, individuals may engage in or tolerate certain non-consensual acts under coercion. There are significant associations between forced sexual intercourse and a range of negative effects on reproductive health, as well as psychological and emotional health. Studies on non-consensual sexual acts among adolescents are rare in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This study is one of the first to focus on urban adolescents, aiming to assess the prevalence of non-consensual sexual acts and to identify associated factors.
Data for this study were obtained from the baseline survey of the project "Reducing the Vulnerability of Adolescents and Young Girls to Violence and HIV/AIDS Infection," conducted in 2018 in the provinces of Kinshasa and Kasaï Oriental among adolescents aged 10-24 years. A total of 2,123 adolescents were surveyed (46.8% in Kinshasa and 53.2% in Kasaï Oriental). A structured survey questionnaire was developed in French to collect data. This questionnaire was pre-tested and corrected before use. Non-consensual sexual acts were assessed using three variables: (i) Have you ever experienced non-consensual touching, (ii) Have you ever experienced an attempted forced sexual intercourse, and (iii) Have you ever been physically forced, injured, or threatened to have sexual intercourse. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted on these three variables separately.
Among all adolescents surveyed, 11.5% reported having experienced non-consensual touching, 15.3% reported having experienced an attempted forced sexual intercourse, and 5.8% reported having been physically forced, injured, or threatened to have sexual intercourse. Among the 575 sexually active adolescents, these proportions were 43.4%, 57.4% and 22.0%, respectively. Prevalences were higher among girls and in the province of Kinshasa. Factors associated with non-consensual sexual acts included gender, cohabitation with biological parents (father and mother), age at first sexual intercourse, communication about sexuality or intimate subjects with a family member, and adolescents' perceptions of the role and place of partners in intimate relationships. A quarter (25.5%) of adolescents who were victims of forced sexual intercourse and were aware of an appropriate institution or person sought help from a professional for the violence they experienced.
The results revealed a high prevalence of non-consensual sexual acts, the significance attributed by adolescents to traditional beliefs regarding the dominant role of men in intimate relationships, and the existence of barriers preventing victims of sexual violence from seeking appropriate care. These findings advocate for providing healthcare services tailored to the needs of adolescents and adapted to sociocultural contexts.
在青春期，由于缺乏经验，个体可能会在胁迫下参与或容忍某些非自愿行为。强迫性交与一系列对生殖健康以及心理和情绪健康的负面影响之间存在显著关联。在刚果民主共和国（DRC），针对青少年非自愿性行为的研究很少。本研究是首批关注城市青少年的研究之一，旨在评估非自愿性行为的患病率并确定相关因素。
本研究的数据来自2018年在金沙萨省和东开赛省对10至24岁青少年开展的“降低青少年和年轻女孩对暴力及艾滋病毒/艾滋病感染的脆弱性”项目的基线调查。共对2123名青少年进行了调查（金沙萨占46.8%，东开赛占53.2%）。用法语编制了一份结构化调查问卷来收集数据。该问卷在使用前进行了预测试并修正。使用三个变量评估非自愿性行为：（i）你是否曾经历过非自愿触摸，（ii）你是否曾经历过强迫性交未遂，以及（iii）你是否曾受到身体强迫、受伤或受到进行性交的威胁。对这三个变量分别进行了双变量和多变量分析。
在所有接受调查的青少年中，11.5%报告曾经历过非自愿触摸，15.3%报告曾经历过强迫性交未遂，5.8%报告曾受到身体强迫、受伤或受到进行性交的威胁。在575名有性活动的青少年中，这些比例分别为43.4%、57.4%和22.0%。女孩以及金沙萨省的患病率更高。与非自愿性行为相关的因素包括性别、与亲生父母（父亲和母亲）同居、首次性交年龄、与家庭成员就性或亲密话题进行交流，以及青少年对伴侣在亲密关系中的角色和地位的认知。在遭受强迫性交的青少年中，有四分之一（25.5%）意识到有合适的机构或人员，并就其所经历的暴力向专业人士寻求帮助。
结果显示非自愿性行为的患病率很高，青少年对男性在亲密关系中主导地位的传统观念的重视，以及存在阻碍性暴力受害者寻求适当护理的障碍。这些发现主张提供符合青少年需求并适应社会文化背景的医疗保健服务。
