Medical Care for Rape Survivors at the “One Stop Center” Unit of the Commune V Reference Health Centre in Bamako, Mali

Gender-based violence is a generic expression describing harmful acts committed against someone’s will on the basis of differences due to gender-related societal precepts. In the sub-region, particularly in Dakar, Senegal and Bamako, Mali. Rates of 1.8% and 2% were reported by the authors. In Mali, according to EDS VI (2018), 68% of women who had experienced physical or sexual violence had never sought help and had never told anyone, 12% had never sought help but had told someone, and only 19% had sought help to put an end to the situation. We conducted a descriptive retrospective cross-sectional study at the holistic (psychosocial, medical, security, economic, legal/judicial) gender-based violence management unit called “One-Stop Center” at the Commune V Reference Health Centre in the district of Bamako. The study focused on rape cases over a three-year period from June 1st, 2020 to June 30th, 2023. In total, we recorded 855 cases of gender-based violence, including 167 rape cases, representing 19.53% of all gender-based violence (GBV) cases. The average age of our survivors was 15, with extremes of 6 and 62. 51.5% were pupils/students and 71.3% were single. Vaginal penetration occurred in 92.2% of cases and ejaculation in 8.4%. The majority of survivors (54.5%) consulted a doctor within 72 hours after the act. Antiretrovirals were given to all survivors and the morning-after pill to 55.7% for preventive purposes.