Physical Effects of Sexually Abused Children and Adolescents at Taksin Hospital
Mariam Boonma MD*, Tanin Bhoopat MD**, Tanenat Treratwerapong MD***, Adisuk Jintanadilog MD****
Affiliation : * Department of Pediatrics, Taksin Hospital, Bangkok ** Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai *** Department of Community Health, Taksin Hospital, Bangkok **** Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taksin Hospital, Bangkok
Objective : To study the incidences and physical effects of sexually abused children and adolescents.
Materials and Methods : Rape records and records of 250 sexually abused children and adolescents treated at
Taksin Hospital between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2004 from Child-Women Protection Center were
studied retrospectively.
Results : The incidence of sexual abuse in children and adolescents was 4.74 per 10,000 cases of age-adjusted
patients at the OPD and 22.97 at the emergency department. Most of the cases (97.20%) were females. Mean
age was13.74 + 4.27 (2-20) years old. Most of the cases were early adolescents (52.40%), late adolescents
32.40%, and children 15.20%. Thirty-nine cases (15.60%) had physical injuries, 36 cases (14.40%) had
external genital injuries, 25 cases (10.00%) had gonococcal infections, 15 cases (6.20%) had bleeding in the
vaginal canal, and eight cases (3.20%) were pregnant. Two hundred and twenty six cases (90.40%) were
reported to the police. There was correlation between age group and hymen tearing (p-value < 0.001),
gonococcal infection (p-value < 0.01) and sperm finding (p-value < 0.001). However, there was no correlation
between age group and gender, physical injury, genital injury, bleeding in the vagina and acid phosphatase
finding. In addition, there was correlation between physical injury and bleeding in the vagina (p-value
< 0.01) but no correlation between genital injury and hymen findings.
Conclusion : Sexual abused victims need immediate attention for the traumatic impacts of their physical,
psychological, and emotional conditions, as well as on their social impact. Thus, it is imperative that protection
be exerted over the treatment to prevent recurrence.
Keywords : Sexual abuse, Physical effect, Children, Adolescents
