Recorded presentation

Leila Adesse, MD, MPH, Country Director, Brazil, Ipas, Avenida Presidente Wilson, 165, Sala 1101-1105, Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20030-020, Brazil, Sonia Dantas, MS, Consultant, Ipas Brasil, Avenida Presidente Wilson, 165, Sala 1101-1105, Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20030-020, Brazil, Maria Beatriz Galli, Advocaci- Advocacia Cidadă Pelos Direitos Humanos, R. da Quitanda, 30, Sala 610 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20011-030, Brazil, and Pearl I. Friedberg, BA, Ipas, 300 Market Street, Suite 200, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, 919-960-5610, friedbergp@ipas.org.

Sexual assault against adolescents has been recognized as a major public health and human rights issue that requires a coordinated response from providers in multiple sectors. Ipas Brasil and Advocaci: Advocacia Cidadă pelos Direitos Humanos, Brazilian NGOs, coordinated a project to protect adolescent girls’ sexual and reproductive rights by building the capacity of providers and developing multidisciplinary networks of care in two cities in northern Brazil, Belem and Porto Velho. A rapid assessment of providers in the health, legal and public safety services was conducted through semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Data were analyzed and presented to service providers at workshops, where participants discussed the results and formulated specific actions and policies, including improving knowledge and implementation of a legal, ethical and human rights framework; strengthening referral and counterreferal systems; increasing knowledge and implementation of technical norms and guidelines for care; and promoting a multisectoral approach for the detection, treatment, and follow-up of adolescent survivors. Actively engaging professionals who provide care for adolescent survivors of sexual violence in multidisciplinary networks and increasing their awareness of issues like human rights, gender equality and sexuality are key strategies to improve quality and effectiveness of care. Civil society organizations can contribute to the Brazilian government’s efforts to formulate policies to address sexual violence against adolescents by raising social awareness of adolescents’ sexual and reproductive rights and by fostering collaboration and integration of providers that work in areas such as education, health, public safety and justice.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Describe the participatory process for constructing multidisciplinary networks of care for adolescent survivors of sexual violence
• 2. Identify institutional factors that impact the quality of care for adolescent survivors of sexual violence
• 3. Recognize the benefits of multidisciplinary networks in improving quality of care for adolescent survivors of sexual violence

Keywords: Sexual Assault, Adolescents, International

Related Web page: www.ipas.org.br

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Ipas is an international NGO working in the field of reproductive and sexual health and rights. Ipas is also the manufacturer and distributor of manual vacuum aspiration instruments.
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: I am a Program Coordinator in the Programs Unit of Ipas, an international NGO working in the field of reproductive and sexual health and rights. Ipas is also the manufacturer and distributor of manual vacuum aspiration instruments

Recorded presentation