Sexual Violence and Other Complications of Corona Virus in Amhara Metropolitan Cities, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: The onset of corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic brought about multiple crises with financial, social, and political dimensions, and problems involving absence or scarcity of medication, food, and other amenities. COVID led to reports of severe hunger, stress, sexual violence, and associated complications. This study was aimed at assessing the prevalence of sexual violence, hunger, stress, indoor fighting, and related complications caused by the corona virus, and determining factors associated with it. METHODS: A cross-sectional design study involving a total of 1288 participants recruited from Amhara Metropolitan cities was implemented. Each participant completed a questionnaire regarding experience of sexual violence, hunger, stress, indoor fighting, and other complications faced due to COVID-19. A statistical analysis was done by fitting binary logistic regression model, independent t-test and Chi-squared test. RESULTS: From the total participants, 1288 (26.2%) were displaced, while 39.9% were unemployed due COVID-19. About half of the participants (48.8%) experienced general distress, 33.8% faced sexual violence, 18.2% experienced hunger, 8.4% faced indoor fighting. The majority (81.7%) of non-corona virus patients in government health-care institutions faced lack of treatment. For every unit increase of monthly income during COVID-19, the estimated odds of participants experiencing sexual violence decreased by 31.3% (aOR=0.687). Educational level, work status, and monthly salary before and during corona virus were important factors of hunger. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 pandemic led to considerably high prevalence of sexual violence, hunger, stress, and indoor fighting. Work status of participants was an important associated factor of hunger, stress, and indoor fighting. Sex of participants and their monthly income were significantly associated with increase in sexual violence during COVID-19. In addition to a general economic recession, a decrease in treatment of non-COVID-19 patients was noticed, particularly in government hospitals.