Prevalence of Intimate Partner Sexual Abuse
The number of IPSA victims is high in the U.S. and
internationally
by Liz Olson
Intimate Partner Sexual Abuse (IPSA) is a violation of women's
human rights that occurs globally and across many cultures. Although there
is little information on the prevalence of IPSA, limited figures show
that the number of victims is high. Studies in the United States show that IPSA causes serious
physical and psychological health problems. Victims of IPSA not only live
with the memories of their abuse—similar to victims sexually abused by
strangers—but they also live with their attacker and the fear of future sexual abuse.
A Global Problem
Globally, intimate partner sexual abuse is condoned in many cultures and some religions. Patriarchy,
tradition, culture, and religion make many women feel they must remain
silent about such abuse.
IPSA victims are very hesitant to discuss their abuse because many cultures do not consider it a problem. In addition, many countries do not
have established laws to respond to IPSA incidents. IPSA remains a serious
problem and one of the worst violations of women’s human rights
because it is hidden and largely undocumented.
Statistics in the United States show that 10%–14% of women ever
married have been raped at least once. A survey on gynecological patients in Norway
indicates that 25% of patients have been sexually abused by their intimate partner. In
addition, 25% of married women interviewed in the Netherlands stated that they had been forced into unwanted sex with their spouses.
Women's Rights Network
The examples of IPSA prevalence cited above are results from a recent
survey released by The Women's Rights Network, a human rights organization.
WRN's project entitled "Intimate Partner Sexual Abuse: An International
Survey and Literature Review," surveyed women’s organizations around
the world. Fifty-one diverse organizations responded from 23 countries.
The Musasa Project
A recent international study by the Musasa
Project found that in Zimbabwe, 73% of 759
women surveyed, had been forced to have sex with their partners, and 69 of
the 759 women said they had unprotected sex with their partner for fear of
being beaten or killed if they refused. Over 36% of clients at the National Collective of Rape
Crisis & Related Groups of Aotearoa in New
Zealand reported being sexually abused by
their partners.
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