Citation

Chapman JD. J. Am. Osteopath. Assoc. 1989; 89(5): 619-624.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, American Osteopathic Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2745177

Abstract

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.

Language: en