The influence of childhood sexual abuse factors on women's health

A history of childhood sexual abuse has been shown to be common among adult women, 15-30% in prevalence studies. The childhood sexual abuse variables taken into account are commonly age of onset, duration, abuse forms and relationship between the child and the perpetrator. Within the Department of Psychiatry at Lund University Hospital, 45 women with experiences of childhood sexual abuse were offered a 2-year long trauma-focused group therapy. Half of the women had been sexually abused during childhood in pre-school ages and half by a perpetrator who was the biological father. Two-thirds had been abused for more than 5 years and half through penetration. There was a statistical significance between age of onset (0-6 years) and psychiatric symptoms including eight of nine subscales, according to results from use of the questionnaire Symptom Check List (SCL-90). According to the same questionnaire, there also was a statistical significance between the perpetrator ( male relative) and the subscale interpersonal sensitivity. According to the Interview Schedule of Social Interaction, there was a statistical significance between the abuse form penetration and the social integration in the subscale availability of attachment. Thirty-five women (78%) had not told anyone about the sexual abuse when it happened, and the most common reason for this was fear of not being believed.