Abstract

AGUDELO, Saúl Franco; URREGO MENDOZA, Zulma; TEJADA, Paola Andrea  and  BAEZ QUINTERO, Liliana. Narrative Approaches to Health Interventions of Women and Girl Survivors of Sexual Assault in Bogotá’s “Souhwestern Network”, 2003-2004. rev.colomb.psiquiatr. [online]. 2007, vol.36, n.3, pp.390-410. ISSN 0034-7450.

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to describe the characteristics of health care offered to victims of sexual violence in the Southwestern of Bogotá, Colombia. The characterization is made from the perspective of those directly involved, based on their description of their individual experiences, the quality of the services received and their recommendations for the improvement of these services. Method: We employed narrative and paradigmatic analysis of interviews and group meetings. Sampling was structural and not probabilistic. It included 11 subjects (4 patients, 4therapists, 2 community mental health providers and 1 victim’s family member) from health care institutions in the district of Fontibón, Bosa, Kennedy and Puente Aranda, in Bogotá. Results: Our analysis suggests two positive aspects: the presence of a government-based citywide policy on this subject and the humane qualities of the healthcare workers involved. Negative aspects include the lack of mental health coverage, access barriers, discontinuity of treatment, lack of intervention by social networks and defi cient early detection of cases. Conclusions: The individuals exhibited a degree of conceptual richness in the topic of sexual violence that could be used in the process of planning policies and services in this area. Interventions in sexual violence should be considered urgent and administrative barriers between victims and interventions should be overcome.

Keywords : Sexual violence; mental health; narration; sexual; reproductive health.

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