Produção Nacional
Revisado por pares
Anogenital warts in children: sexual abuse or unintentional contamination?
2001; Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz; Volume: 17; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1590/s0102-311x2001000600009
ISSN1678-4464
AutoresLisieux Eyer de Jesus, Oscar Luís Lima e Cirne Neto, Leila Maria Monteiro do Nascimento, Rejane Costa Araújo, Andrea Baptista,
Tópico(s)Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
ResumoAnogenital warts (AGW) were recently recognized in children, and their significance as an index of childhood sexual abuse is controversial. We report our transdisciplinary approach (including a pediatric surgeon, psychologist, social worker, ethics expert, and occasionally law enforcement agents) and its results in a group of 17 children with AGW treated at the public pediatric referral hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during a 3-year period (1996-1999). All children were treated by electrocauterization of the warts, tested for other STDs, and submitted to perineal examination under anesthesia. Families received psycho-social counseling as necessary and cases were referred to child protection and law enforcement agents when indicated according to Brazilian legislation. We identified a high incidence of sexual abuse (8 children, 5/7 > 5 years old), with 3 patients inconclusive as to sexual abuse and 7 cases of perinatal transmission (5/8 < 4 years old). We conclude that AGW are indeed a strong sign of suspicion for sexual abuse in children, especially but not exclusively > 5 years of age. However, strong support and a transdisciplinary approach to the children and their families is necessary to identify it.
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