Hailu et al Journal of Drug Delivery & Therapeutics. 2020; 10(3-s):150-158 ISSN: 2250-1177 [150] CODEN (USA): JDDTAO Available online on 15.06.2020 at http://jddtonline.info Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics Open Access to Pharmaceutical and Medical Research © 2011-18, publisher and licensee JDDT, This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, provided the original work is properly cited Open Access Research Article Sexual Violence and its Associated Factors among Female High School Students in Southern Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study 1 *Koyra Hailu, 2 Argo Mekuanint, 3 Kara Niguse, 3 Tufa Efrata 1 School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences and Medicine, Wolaita Soddo University, P.O.Box 138, Soddo, Ethiopia 2 Program Officer at JSI, Hawassa, Ethiopia 3 School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences and Medicine, Wolaita Soddo University, P.O.Box 138, Soddo, Ethiopia ABSTRACT Background: Sexual violence is a major concern of society as physical and mental harm endured by women is extremely destructive. However, little is known about sexual violence within the study area. Therefore, current study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of sexual violence among female high school students in Soddo town, Southern Ethiopia. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted using pretested, structured self-administered questionnaire. Data analysis was done using SPSS and the presence of association was assessed using bivariate test. Multivariable logistic regression was used to control confounding effects and the strength of association was estimated in odds ratio with 95% confidence interval. Results: The prevalence of life time rape among female students was found to be 25.8%. The odds of experiencing life time rape was higher among students who had more than one sexual partner (AOR= 9.11; 5.52, 15.04). Substance abuse is significantly associated with life time rape that the chance of experiencing rape among students who were chewing chat was higher (AOR=6.09; 1.57, 23.69) than their counterparts. Conclusion: High level of rape among female high school students was found in Sodo town. Chewing chat and having more than one sexual partner had statistically significant association with life time rape. Keywords: Sexual violence, Wolaita, Ethiopia, Soddo Article Info: Received 12 March 2020; Review Completed 22 May 2020; Accepted 06 June 2020; Available online 15 June 2020 Cite this article as: Hailu K, Mekuanint A, Niguse K, Efrata T, Sexual Violence and its Associated Factors among Female High School Students in Southern Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study, Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics. 2020; 10(3-s):150-158 http://dx.doi.org/10.22270/jddt.v10i3-s.4121 *Address for Correspondence: Koyra Hailu, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences and Medicine, Wolaita Soddo University, P.O.Box 138, Soddo, Ethiopia INTRODUCTION The World Health Organization (WHO) defines sexual violence as: ‘Any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic or otherwise directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work 1 . Violence against women is the world's most prevalent, pervasive, and systemic problem. It is a problem without borders, a universal scourge on women and their families that knows no geographical boundaries, culture or wealth. Data from country and local studies indicate that, in some parts of the world at least one woman in every five has suffered an attempted or completed rape 2 . Sexual violence, including sexual harassment, frequently occurs in institutions assumed to be ‘safe’, such as schools, where perpetrators include peers and teachers. In studies from around the world, including Africa, south Asia, and Latin America, studies have documented that substantial proportions of girls report experiencing sexual harassment and abuse on the way to and from school, as well as on school and university premises, including classrooms lavatories and dormitories, by peers and by teachers 3 . In Ethiopia different studies indicated that women and school adolescents are highly perpetrated. Studies indicated that significant proportions of secondary school female adolescents in Ethiopia have been sexually abused. For instance a study conducted in Debrebirhan high school students indicated that the life time prevalence of completed rape among the study subjects was 13.2%. A number of factors that make individuals vulnerable to sexual