Report Finds Link Between Sexual Assault And Need For Increased Medical Care For Year After Attack
Researchers say the report highlights the need to be training clinicians in how to ask about sexual assault and respond appropriately.
The California Health Report:
Women's Need For Medical Care Spikes Following Sexual Assault, Study Finds
Women who experience sexual assault are more likely to need medical care for mental health and stress-related problems in the year following the attack, new research suggests. Researchers at Kaiser Permanente analyzed the medical records of 1,350 women in northern California who were sexually assaulted between 2009 and 2015. They compared the women’s use of health-care services and their diagnoses in the years before and after the assault. The study also compared the victims’ records with those of other women of the same age and who attended the same medical facility but did not experience a sexual assault. (Boyd-Barrett, 6/8)