A Qualitative Analysis of Coping Strategies Among People Assigned Female Birth Who Have Experienced Gynecological Violence in Chile.

Gynecological violence, a form of gender-based violence encountered by women, remains a significant but overlooked issue. It occurs within healthcare settings in the context of gynecological care, and despite its prevalence, there's a dearth of research exploring strategies to combat it. This qualitative study aimed to investigate the coping mechanisms adopted by women and individuals assigned female at birth (cisgender, gender nonconforming, and transgender) following experiences of violence in Chile. We conducted semi-structured interviews to explore their coping strategies. The transcriptions were analyzed employing thematic analysis, which revealed that individuals primarily coped with gynecological violence by seeking interpersonal interactions that provided emotional and instrumental support. Additionally, we identified novel coping mechanisms such as self-protecting behaviors and self-affirming behaviors.

The continuum of violence against women: Gynecological violence within the Medical Model in Chile.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the presence of gynecological violence within the health system in Chile, quantify the magnitude of this problem, define its general contours, and shed light on a phenomenon that has long been silenced. Additionally, we are interested in detecting differences between public and private health services, as well as exploring the role played by variables such as sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, and educational level in contributing to the prevalence of gynecological violence. METHODS: This study employed a cross-sectional and not probabilistic sampling approach. It included a sample of 1503 women from all regions of Chile, who were of legal age and who had attended gynecological services. A questionnaire was applied between January 2021 and April 2022 using the online platform SurveyMonkey®. Data were collected through the second national survey on obstetric and gynecological violence (GinObs 2021). The study adheres to activist research methodologies and was conducted in collaboration with activists and academic researchers. RESULTS: 57.9% of the women participants reported having experienced violence. Such violence appears to occur most frequently in the public health system, although not exclusively, and the victims are often people who belong to native ethnic groups, who identify as of African descent, whose sexual orientation is lesbian, who are elderly, and who have a lower level of education. CONCLUSION: Gynecological violence is an integral part of the continuum of violence against women and is consistently reported in both public and private health services. This form of violence has serious consequences for women's health and constitutes a significant public health problem.

Impacto y consecuencias de la violencia ginecológica en la vida de las mujeres / Impact and consequences of gynecological violence in the lives of women

Objetivo: El objetivo fue analizar un conjunto de resultados sobre violencia ginecológica y relacionarlos con su impacto en la percepción del cuerpo, la sexualidad, la autoimagen y autoestima. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo de tipo transversal. Se analizaron 812 relatos de mujeres de diversas regiones de Chile. Resultados: Se detectaron tres clases de consecuencias de la violencia: adopción de medidas de protección y resguardo, impacto en la experiencia de sí mismas y sus cuerpos y secuelas físicas y emocionales de la violencia en sus vidas. Adicionalmente, se presentan algunas experiencias de recuperación de autonomía en el cuidado de la salud ginecológica. Conclusión: La violencia ginecológica es parte de la experiencia común de las mujeres y puede constituir un grave problema de salud pública y erigirse en una barrera en el acceso de las mujeres a servicios de salud(AU)

Objective: The objective was to analyze a set of results on gynecological violence and relate them to their impact on the perception of the body, sexuality, self-image and self-esteem. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. 812 stories of women from different regions of Chile were analyzed. Results: Three kinds of consequences of violence were detected: adoption of protection and shelter measures, impact on the experience of themselves and their bodies, and physical and emotional consequences of violence in their lives. Additionally, some experiences of autonomy recovery in gynecological health care are presented. Conclusion: Gynecological violence is part of the common experience of women and can constitute a serious public health problem and become a barrier to women's access to health services(AU)