Prevalence and Associated Factors of Non-Consensual Sexual Acts among Adolescents in the Democratic Republic of Congo – Frontiers
Prevalence and Associated Factors of Non-Consensual Sexual Acts among Adolescents in the Democratic Republic of Congo Frontiers
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Reprod. Health
Sec. Adolescent Reproductive Health and Well-being
Volume 6 – 2024 | doi: 10.3389/frph.2024.1437225
This article is part of the Research Topic
Intersection of Adolescent Sexual, Reproductive, and Mental Health in Sub-Saharan Africa
Provisionally accepted
- University of N’Djamena, N’Djamena, Chad
- Other, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
During adolescence, due to lack of experience, individuals may engage in or tolerate certain nonconsensual 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:
- Have you ever experienced non-consensual touching
- Have you ever experienced an attempted forced sexual intercourse
- 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 were not specified in the provided article.
Keywords:
Sexuality, Non-Consensual Sexual, Forced Sexual, adolescents, Democratic Republic of Congo
Received: 23 May 2024; Accepted: 18 Nov 2024.
Copyright: © 2024 MIANGOTAR, EKOFO and MIHIGO. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: YODE MIANGOTAR, University of N’Djamena, N’Djamena, Chad
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors, and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
The article discusses the prevalence of non-consensual sexual acts among adolescents in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This issue is directly related to the promotion of good health and well-being (SDG 3) as it highlights the negative effects on reproductive health, psychological, and emotional health. It also addresses gender equality (SDG 5) as the prevalence is higher among girls. Additionally, it touches upon the need for strong institutions and justice systems to address and prevent non-consensual sexual acts (SDG 16).
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information, and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programs.
- SDG 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
- SDG 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children.
The article highlights the need for access to sexual and reproductive health-care services to address the negative effects of non-consensual sexual acts on reproductive health (SDG 3.7). It also emphasizes the importance of eliminating violence against girls, including non-consensual sexual acts (SDG 5.2). Furthermore, it calls for ending abuse and violence against adolescents, including non-consensual sexual acts (SDG 16.2).
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Prevalence of non-consensual touching
- Prevalence of attempted forced sexual intercourse
- Prevalence of physical force, injury, or threat to have sexual intercourse
The article mentions three indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. These indicators include the prevalence of non-consensual touching, attempted forced sexual intercourse, and physical force, injury, or threat to have sexual intercourse. These indicators can be measured through surveys and data collection to assess the prevalence and trends of non-consensual sexual acts among adolescents.
4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | SDG 3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information, and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programs. |
|
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | SDG 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. |
|
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | SDG 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children. |
|
Source: frontiersin.org
