Traumas maxilofaciais decorrentes de violência física contra mulheres registrados no Hospital de Clínicas da Unversidade Federal de Uberlândia (HC-UFU) nos anos pré pandemia de 2015-2019

Abstract

This study examines physical violence against women, a pressing public health issue, focusing specifically on maxillofacial trauma. Physical violence is defined as any action that harms a woman's bodily integrity or health. Despite the enactment of the Maria da Penha Law (Law 11.340/06), such violence persists in domestic and extrafamilial contexts, infringing on fundamental human rights and freedoms. According to the 2024 Brazilian Public Security Yearbook, 1,238,208 (1.18%) Brazilian women experienced violence in 2023, with a likely higher number due to underreporting. Maxillofacial trauma, including head and neck injuries, is notably prevalent among victims. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of maxillofacial injuries in cases of physical violence against women treated at the Hospital de Clínicas of the Federal University of Uberlândia (HC-UFU) from 2015 to 2019 and compare it with data from the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. The final sample comprised 67 medical records. The mean age of the victims was 33.6 years. Brown and Black women were the most frequently affected, with 22 patients (32.8%). Body force was the most common mode of aggression (43 patients, 64.1%), and public places were the primary locations of these attacks (18 patients, 26.8%). Intimate partners were responsible for most of the assaults (14.9%). All patients had soft tissue injuries, and 22 (32.8%) had both soft and hard tissue injuries. The most common hard tissue injury was mandibular fracture, affecting 12 patients (54.5%).