![]() And, if they keep it inside, it destroys them,” says Sis-Ntutu Ntwana, a MSF nurse and Simelela Center project coordinator. I will kill your mother,' There is fear and the victim does not want to talk about it. “ will threaten the victim after the rape: ‘If you tell, I will kill you. To help address the problem, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) coordinated the establishment of the Simelela Center in Khayelitsha, a place where victims of sexual violence can be heard. It is the silence that becomes a prison because of the overwhelming fear and the reality of continued violence for the victim. In Khayelitsha, the result is always the same: rape followed by silence. In poverty-stricken Khayelitsha, near Cape Town, South Africa, it happens in a home, rather than in a deserted field. Sometimes it is a father, an uncle, a friend, or a neighbor, but seldom a stranger. When a patient wishes to press charges against a perpetrator, the certificate can constitute important evidence in court. MSF issues medical-legal certificates to victims of sexual violence. Timely counseling can also prevent the development of post-traumatic stress disorder at a later stage. Initial counseling helps stabilize symptoms such as shock, and prepare them for medical consultation. MSF offers psychosocial care for victims of sexual violence to help them restore their ability to carry on with their lives. If victim has sustained serious injuries, MSF will treat them, or perform surgery. Pregnancy can be prevented if the victim comes in within 120 hours of the attacks by administering the morning-after pill. MSF also administers drugs for prevention and treatment of hepatitis B and other sexually transmitted diseases. Treatment with antiretrovirals (ARVs) can prevent HIV infection, but only if begun within three days of the rape. ![]() ![]() MSF urges victims of sexual violence to come to a clinic within 72 hours of the attack. In communities where MSF works, teams use every tool at their disposal to communicate about sexual violence and encourage victims to seek help. How MSF Cares for Victims of Sexual Violence Read more about sexual violence and spread the word on MSF's Shattered Lives web site. ![]()
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