Abstract:
Sexual assault is a global public health and human rights challenge which cuts
across all social classes. According to a literature review based on 50 studies
from around the world, between 10% and 50% of women have experienced
some act of physical violence while one in every four women experience sexual
violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lives. In an emergency unit
in the North West, South Africa there are policies, guidelines and procedures in
place with regard to the management of the rape survivors after the incident
which focus on a medical orientated approach. The views of female rape
survivors on their management are neglected; therefore management is not
patient-centred. The main objective of the study was to explore and describe the
views of the female rape survivors regarding the management they received in
emergency unit to enable the health care professionals to move towards a more
patient-centred approach in the management these patients.
Appreciative Inquiry was used a research methodology. A qualitative design
using purposive sampling was used to select the participants. Unstructured
interviews were conducted with 10 female rape survivors and Tesch steps were
used to analyse the data.
Three main themes were identified, namely 1) therapeutic environment, 2)
optimal healthcare received and 3) excellence in service delivery. With regard to
the disease orientated management received the female rape survivors found it
to be good. The participants voiced that it is important that female rape survivors
should have an opportunity to attend group therapy following the rape incident so
that they are able to support each other.
