WHO Study Finds Many Teenage Girls Aged 15-19 Years Experience Physical Or Sexual Violence From Their Partners

JAKARTA - About a quarter of teenage girls who have been in a relationship have experienced physical or sexual violence, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) study on Tuesday, calling for more precautions.

The WHO analysis published in the Lancet medical journal is based on a survey of thousands of teenage girls aged between 15 and 19 from 154 countries and territories.

The survey results show 24 percent of them have been victims of sex partner violence at least once, with 16 percent reporting it in the past year.

Main researcher Dr. Lynnmarie Sarinha said the analysis was partly motivated by concerns of young women being "improved" and not receiving support.

"I am very surprised to see the large percentage of teenage girls who have basically become victims of violence, even before their 20th anniversary," she told Reuters.

"We are lagging behind what we should be," he continued.

The data is based on a survey conducted between 2000 and 2018. Sardinha said the data collected since then was still being verified and appeared to show there was only "a slight decline."

The acts of violence calculated in the survey include kicking or hitting and unwanted sexual acts, such as rape or attempted rape.

The data, which is broken down by state and region, shows a high correlation between violence and women's rights, with countries where girls and girls have limited access to education and unequal inheritance laws showing a higher level of violence.

The highest number in Oceania was followed by Africa, with 49 percent of girls reporting sex partner violence in Papua New Guinea and 42 percent in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an analysis showed. Meanwhile, the lowest figure is Europe where 10 percent reported incidents.

"Given that violence during these critical years of formation can cause deep and sustained damage, this needs to be taken more seriously as a public health issue with a focus on targeted prevention and support," said WHO Department of Sexual Health and Reproduction and Research Director Dr. Pascale Allotey.