RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To investigate domestic sexual violations in southeastern Nigeria and the opinions of married women regarding sexual rights for women. METHOD: Married women attending gynecologic clinics at 3 major hospitals in Enugu, Nigeria, completed a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: A culture of male dominance seemed to be the leading cause for the following high rates: husband's total monopoly on decisions regarding sex, 54.1%; inability to refuse the husband's demands for sex, 60.7%; sex-related verbal abuse, 39.3%; sex-related physical violence, 16.2%; and forced sex, 19.1%. Women with a university education and unemployed women reported sexual violations more frequently than did others. Most respondents supported sexual rights for women. CONCLUSION: Married women in southeastern Nigeria still are denied sexual rights, apparently owing to a culture of male dominance. A higher education alone may not lead to the advent of sexual rights for women, and a greater emphasis should be placed on societal reorientation.
