Lifetime prevalence of sexual harassment and violence among 18-19-year-olds: findings from a national Chilean survey.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the lifetime prevalence ratios of experiences of sexual violence and analyze the sociodemographic factors associated with this type of violence in young adults. METHOD: Data were drawn from the 2022 Chilean National Survey of Health, Sexuality, and Gender. Analysis included 1003 young adults aged 18-19 years. Lifetime prevalence of sexual harassment and violence included experiences ranging from verbal harassment and inappropriate comments to forced sexual contact. Prevalence was estimated by sex, and associated factors were analyzed using robust Poisson regression models to estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios. RESULTS: Overall, 59.0% (95% CI: 55.9-62.0) reported at least one lifetime experience of sexual violence, with prevalence estimates of 52.0% (95% CI: 46.5-57.5) among men and 62.3% (95% CI: 58.6-65.8) among women. Prevalence was higher among women (aPR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.07-1.35) and non-heterosexual participants (aPR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.35-1.63) compared with their reference groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that experiences of sexual violence have an high prevalence among young adults. The differential associations due to sex assigned at birth and sexual orientation constitute a key basis for the development of interventions aimed at promoting safe youth development and a transition to adulthood with the least possible burden on mental and physical health.