Gynecological violence and silence within the Medical Model in Chile

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the presence of gynecological violence within the health system in Chile, quantify the magnitude of this problem, define its general contours and make visible a phenomenon that has been silenced until now. Methods: The design is cross-sectional and not probabilistic. It included a sample of 4563 women, who were of legal age and who had ever attended gynecological services. A questionnaire was applied between December 18, 2019 and May 10, 2020 using the online platform (SurveyMonkey®). Results: 67% of the participants reported having experienced violence in some way. Such violence occurs most frequently, but not only, in the public health system, in people who belong to native ethnic groups, who consider themselves to be of African descent, whose sexual orientation is lesbian, who are older and who have a lower level of education. Conclusion: The results indicate a high report of violence in gynecological health care.