Descriptive study of reported cases of sexual violence and specialized care services in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, 2019

ABSTRACT Objective to describe the sociodemographic profile of reported cases of sexual violence (SV) and the distribution of care services for this health condition in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, 2019. Methods this was a descriptive study of the cases of sexual violence reported on the Notifiable Health Conditions Information System and care services registered in the National Health Establishment Registry. Results a total of 4,418 notifications of SV were identified during the study period, representing more than 12 notifications per day; the majority of notifications were among females (87.0%) and among children and adolescents (72.0%); the distribution of care services showed care gaps in four of the 14 health macro-regions of the state of Minas Gerais; the maximum distances traveled to access referral services ranged from 93 to 327 km. Conclusion the scarcity of care services for people subjected to sexual violence in the micro-regions and macro-regions of Minas Gerais highlights the need for planning public policies aimed at increasing access to these services.