A longitudinal study of sexuality and gynecologic health in abused women.

Although the nature of the sexual dysfunctions that result from rape and abuse may vary, the study reported here suggests that the dysfunctions become chronic. Sexually violent assaults alter a woman's affective as well as her gynecologic and physiologic life. The author determined the frequency of sexual dysfunction in 100 women: 30 rape victims, 35 abuse victims, and 30 case-matched controls. The sexual inventory evaluated for sexual fears, sexual desire, sexual arousal, and orgasm. To evaluate the impact of the abuse on the gynecologic health of the victims, the gynecologic examination and interview focused on pain, dyspareunia, vaginismus, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, vaginitis, and pelvic surgery. Over a period of two to four years after the violent event, 61% of the raped and abused women had some sexual dysfunction. Almost the same percentage had gynecologic problems. Studies of this nature are difficult because the victims are reluctant to participate and resistant to cooperate. Only 45% of the victims in the rape-crisis centers were willing to cooperate, while only 25% of those in the shelter for abused women were willing to provide a sexual history and consent to an interview and pelvic examination. Such factors need to be kept in mind when interpreting the data.

PIP: This paper presents a longitudinal study on the sexuality and gynecologic health of abused women in the US. The study was conducted among 30 rape victims, 35 abuse victims, and 30 case-matched controls. All subjects underwent sexual and gynecologic evaluations, which was repeated every 6 months over a 4-year period. The sexual evaluations covered issues on sexual fears, desires, arousal, and orgasm, while gynecological evaluations examined disorders such as dysmenorrhea, pelvic pain, and vaginismus. Data analysis revealed that 61% of the abused women had sexual dysfunctions and gynecological problems over a period of 2-4 years after a violent event. On the other hand, a lesser percentage (31%) of sexual dysfunction and gynecological problems were noted among the control group. Study concludes that there is a need to explore the possibility of sexual abuse or partner-intimacy abuse for all women with a history of sexual dysfunction.

PMID: 2745177 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]