Associations between sexual violence and women's sexual self-consciousness

Background: Sexual violence is a global public health problem that has serious and multiple consequences for the victims' health. Objective: This study was conducted to determine associations between sexual violence and women's sexual self-consciousness. Methods: In the analytical cross-sectional study, 340 eligible married women of reproductive age who have been referred to comprehensive health centers of Rasht, participated. Simple random sampling followed by cluster sampling was used to reach eligible study participants. The data collection tool was a three-part questionnaire including a demographic information form, sexual violence questionnaire, and sexual self-consciousness scale. Results: More than 66% of the participants in this study were exposed to sexual violence by their current spouses/partners. The highest prevalence of sexual violence was in the dimension of unwillingness to have sex (49%), and the lowest in the verbal dimension was 2.1%. Participants were 4.11 +/- 5.18. There was a significant positive correlation between the total score of sexual violence and the total score of sexual self-consciousness of participants (P <0.001, r = 469). Conclusion: According to the findings, there is a significant positive correlation between SSC and sexual violence, so prevention policies for sexual violence should be focused on skill-based programs and empowering women.