Document Type

Brief

Publication Date

2008

Abstract

In South Africa, an integrated model for post-rape care by nurses in a rural district hospital, which included a designated room for medical management and guidelines for providing reproductive health and HIV services, improved the quality of care provided. However, nurses remained reluctant to collect forensic evidence that could be used for prosecuting perpetrators. South Africa has developed a strong policy framework outlining medical management of rape survivors, which includes provision of HIV testing and post-exposure prophylaxis and emergency contraception, ideally within 72 hours. However, implementation has been hampered by numerous obstacles, both in health care infrastructure and policy, and in linkages between medical care and criminal justice services. To address these issues, in 2004 FRONTIERS collaborated with partners to develop and test a strengthened and integrated model for post-rape treatment. The study was implemented in a hospital serving a large rural population in Mpumalanga province, and researchers conducted interviews with over 50 health care workers, pharmacists, police, and other service providers. As detailed in this brief, quality of care was assessed through a review of 334 hospital charts and interviews with 109 rape survivors.

DOI

10.31899/rh14.1003

Language

English

Project

Frontiers in Reproductive Health

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