title: Assessment of the sexually abused female children admitted to a tertiary care hospital: Eight year experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discuss the medical, social and legal characteristics of the child sexual abuse and to provide a perspective for gynecologists on this topic.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was carried out of the medicolegal records of female children below the age of 18 referred to a tertiary teaching hospital and diagnosed as being exposed to sexual abuse within the family between the years of 2004 to 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and thirty-nine cases were diagnosed as being exposed to sexual abuse during the 8 year period, 23 of them (16.5%) had been involved in sexual abuse within the family. Eleven out of 23 had been admitted as part of a legal process while the rest were reported by a third person.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since sexual abuse within the family is a taboo in Islamic societies, the diagnosis can take a long time. Recognition of sexually abused children, providing early performance of medicolegal examinations, and applying standardized medical guidelines are essential to protect these children.
authors.affiliation: Leyla Mollamahmutoglu, Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Etlik Zubeyde Hanim Women's Health Research and Education Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Leyla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mollamahmutoglu
authors.affiliation: Ozlem Uzunlar, Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Research and Education Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Uzunlar
authors.affiliation: Inci Kahyaoglu, Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Etlik Zubeyde Hanim Women's Health Research and Education Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Inci
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kahyaoglu
authors.affiliation: Sebnem Ozyer, Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Research and Education Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sebnem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozyer
authors.affiliation: Mustafa Besli, Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Research and Education Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Besli
authors.affiliation: Mujdegul Karaca, Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Research and Education Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mujdegul
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karaca
keywords: Childhood; Incest; Sexual abuse