Citation

Sangeetha R, Saravanan S, Sasikumar S. J. Forensic Med. Toxicol. 2022; 39(1): 19-23.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Department of Forensic Medicine)

DOI

10.5958/0974-4568.2022.00005.9

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

BACKGROUND: As per a survey conducted by UK-based Thompson Reuters Foundation, India was the 4th most dangerous country for females globally with which the threats ranging from domestic violence, foeticide, and other crimes leading to unnatural death in females. By knowing the cause of unnatural death among females in different age group would guide us to adopt preventive measures to minimize these types of death.

AIM: To compare the unnatural deaths among females in the reproductive age group with females aged 50 years and above.

METHODology: A retrospective record-based study, by analysing the records from the year Jan 2019 to Jan 2021 was conducted in the department of forensic medicine of Karur government medical college hospital. A total of 250 deaths were reported in that period and all these deaths were analysed retrospectively. The data were grouped into two groups one group were females in the reproductive age group (15 - 49 years) and the other group was females >49 years of age. Type and cause of death with the postmortem findings were recorded in the proforma.

RESULTS: Suicide was the most common type of death among the women in the reproductive age group and among women aged more than 49 years accident was found to be the most common type of death and this difference was found to be statistically significant (p<.001). Hanging was found to be the most common cause of death followed by consumption of poison, self-immolation and drowning among the women in the reproductive age group, whereas among women aged more than 49 years self-immolation was found to be the most common cause of suicide followed by hanging, drowning and consumption of poison.

CONCLUSION: Women, especially the young are vulnerable to intentional unnatural deaths associated with family disputes, highlighting the importance of establishing free counseling services making them available at the village level in primary health centers. © 2022, Institute of Medico-legal Publication. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

accident; Accidents; adolescent; adult; age; Article; autopsy; Autopsy; burn; cause of death; death; drowning; electrocution; female; Females; forensic medicine; forensic pathology; gestational age; government; groups by age; hanging; homicide; human; intoxication; poison; Reproductive Age Group; retrospective study; self immolation; snakebite; sociodemographics; suicide; Suicide; traffic accident; unnatural death; Unnatural Deaths