The impact of sexual assault on physical health status

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the long-term physical health implications of sexual assault in the rape victim. Fifty-one sexual assault victims, each with 2 or more years of time elapsed since the rape, responded to a self-administered questionnaire composed of demographics items and the Cornell Medical Index-Health Questionnaire (CMI). The victims were matched by age with a control group of 51 nonvictims. The results showed nonsignificant t-test differences between the two groups in demographic factors and in two CMI scores, Past Illness Symptoms and Family Health History. However, significant differences resulted between the groups in perceived current health status (x2 [df = 2, N = 102] = 11.26, p < 0.01) and in the CMI scores of Present Illness Symptoms (t = 5.51, p ≦ 0.01), Negative Health Behaviors (t = 6.21, p ≦ 0.01), and Female Reproductive Physiology Illness Symptoms (t = 6.21, p ≦ 0.01).