Table 1. Features of pediatric sexual assault cases compared to adult cases seen in Goma, eastern DRC.
| Factor | Pediatric victims (n = 440) | Adult victims (n = 54) | p-value |
| Yearly distribution | |||
| 2006 | 129 | 11 | 0.003 |
| 2007 | 162 | 12 | |
| 2008 | 149 | 31 | |
| Age of victims ( years) | |||
| <5 | 60 (14) | ||
| 6–10 | 50 (11) | ||
| 11–18 | 330 (75) | ||
| >18 | 54 | ||
| Sex of victims | |||
| Female | 433 (98) | 52 (96) | 0.26 |
| Male | 7 (1.6) | 2 (3.7) | |
| Time of assault | |||
| Day | 291 (66) | 26 (48) | 0.009 |
| Night | 149 (34) | 28 (52) | |
| Description of assailant | |||
| Civilian | 358 (81) | 23 (43) | <0.001 |
| In military uniform* | 57 (13) | 26 (48) | |
| Unknown | 25 (5.7) | 5 (9.3) | |
| Relationship with assailant | |||
| Known to family | 322 (74) | 16 (30) | <0.001 |
| Stranger | 114 (26) | 38 (70) | |
| Time to consultation | |||
| <72h | 208 (47) | 36 (67) | 0.007 |
| >72h–1 week | 51 (12) | 2 (3.7) | |
| >1 week | 181 (41) | 16 (30) | |
| Signs found at examination | |||
| Hymeneal tear | 254 (58) | 21 (39) | 0.006 |
| Vulvar lesions | 89 (20) | 13 (24) | |
| Anal lesions | 6 (1.4) | 0 | |
| Other lesions | 19 (4.3) | 3 (5.6) | |
| No lesion | 72 (16) | 17 (32) | |
| Pregnancy, positive/number tested (%) 1 | 85/407 (21) | 4/52 (7.7) | 0.024 |
| Sexually transmitted infections | |||
| HIV test, positive/number tested (%) | 9/307 (2.9) | 2/38 (5.3) | 0.34 |
| HIV post-exposure prophylaxis, given/eligible (%)2 | 129/193 (67) | 31/35 (89) | 0.009 |
| VDRL test at presentation | 14/308 (4.6) | 1/37 (2.7) | 0.93 |
*In eastern DRC, the presence of multiple armed groups without central leadership, deserters known as “inciviques [11],” widely available military uniforms in the post-war period, and the possibility that civilians may wear military uniforms leaves open the possibility that patients' description of uniformed assailant may not always be military personnel.