Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Many doctors are nevertheless unsure of the proper procedures to follow and the scientific basis of the physical findings that are associated with sexual abuse.
This article is focused on the physical findings of abuse, rather than its emotional and psychiatric consequences. This article is based on a selective review of pertinent literature retrieved from various databases, including PubMed and the overall index of the Quarterly Update. The great majority of sexually abused children do not have any abnormal physical findings.
The proper determination and documentation of physical findings and their interpretation based on current scientific knowledge are essential for the protection of abused children. Sexually abused children can only receive proper medical care if the involved physicians have the requisite knowledge in the areas of child and adolescent gynecology and forensic medicine, are aware of the limited informative value of the physical findings, and are able to apply the pertinent recommendations, guidelines, and classifications that are currently in effect.
These figures accord with those of earlier studies 2 , e1. In a meta-analysis of studies from around the world, involving a total of 9. In the USA, where the reporting of child abuse is mandatory, 60 to 80 confirmed cases are reported annually, with a downward trend 4. The available data from Germany are sparse, and it is assumed that many cases go unreported; reliable data on the frequency of subtypes of sexual abuse are sparse as well. The literature documents a lifelong association between sexual victimization in childhood and adolescence and chronic mental and physical illness in adulthood e2.
This is also true of the psychiatric and psychosomatic aspects of child sexual abuse e9. A meta-analysis of studies from around the world, involving a total of 9. Hardly any data from Germany are available. Child sexual abuse is the involvement of children and adolescents in sexual activities that they cannot fully comprehend and to which they cannot consent as a fully equal, self-determining participant, because of their early stage of development.
