Sexual-Assault History and Long-Term Physical Health Problems

Having a history of sexual assault is associated with both poor general health and limitations in physical functioning, as well as with specific health problems such as chronic pelvic pain, premenstrual disturbance, other gynecologic symptoms, fibromyalgia, headache, other pain syndromes, and gastrointestinal disorders. In studies evaluating the possible role of depression in these associations, depression among sexually assaulted persons did not account for their poorer health. Although there are unanswered questions in the literature on the associations between sexual assault and health, existing findings are consistent with standard criteria for inferring causal relationships from observational data. For example, many assault-health associations are supported by multiple, independent studies, and many demonstrate dose-response relationships (i.e., more incidents of sexual assault, or more severe assaults, are associated with more adverse health outcomes).