URBAN GROOVES musician Trevor Dongo has revealed that although much emphasis is placed on men as victims of drug and substance abuse, women also face the same predicament due to abuse in relationships.
Writing on his social media handles, the musician said: “Whenever we mention drug abuse, we think of men mostly, but forgetting that there are also women who are victims of substance abuse. Some of these women are driven into taking drugs due to abuse, be it in marriages or relationships. Love should not hurt.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) indicated in a report published this year that globally about one in three women (30%) of women worldwide had been subjected to either physical or emotional violence by sexual partners or non-partners in their lifetime.
“Most of this violence is intimate partner violence. Worldwide, almost one third (27%) of women aged 15-49 years who have been in relationships report that they have been subjected to some form of physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner,” the report established.
The report further noted that violence can negatively affect women’s physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health and may increase the risk of acquiring HIV in some settings.
The report also indicated that these forms of violence lead to depression, post-traumatic stress disorders, sleep difficulties, eating disorders and suicide attempts while an analysis carried out by the organisation also revealed that women who experienced intimate partner violence are almost twice likely to experience depression and problem drinking.
“Sexual violence, particularly during childhood can lead to increased smoking, substance use and risky sexual behaviours. It is also associated with perpetration of violence (for males) and being a victim of violence (for females),” WHO noted.
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