Knowledge and Attitudes towards Sexual Violence in Conflict-Affected Rural Communities in the Walikale District, DR Congo: Implications for Rural Health Services

Sexual violence has become endemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),but the perspectives of rural communities of the scourge remain poorly researched.This study aims to describe the attitudes and knowledge of rural communities inregard to sexual violence, its occurrence and associated problems in rural communitiesin the Itebero/Walikale district in the DRC. A descriptive cross-sectional design wasadopted, and a structured questionnaire used. Four hundred respondents participated,representing a group of ten villages populated by a total of 10,000 inhabitants.The respondents stated that perpetrators were often men from their own village. Thefields were cited as being the place where most of the assaults occurred. A substantialproportion of the respondents lacked sufficient knowledge of the health outcomesof sexual violence. HIV infection and unwanted pregnancies were the most fearedconsequences. The victims of violence either experienced compassion or sufferedrejection, depending on the community groups. Victims were mostly supported bywomen from their community, followed by husbands, relatives and authorities. Healthfacilities were the primary sources of support for victims. Rural health facilities need torevolutionise their health education strategies to improve the current situation