Sexual Violence: Consequences

Sexual violence can have harmful and lasting consequences for victims, families, and communities. The following list describes some of those consequences.

Physical

• More than 32,000 pregnancies result from rape every year with the highest rates of rape-induced pregnancy reported by women in abusive relationships^1,2
• Some long-term consequences of sexual violence include:^{3-6, 15}
  • Chronic pain
  • Gastrointestinal disorders
  • Gynecological complications
  • Migraines and other frequent headaches
  • Sexually transmitted infections
  • Cervical cancer
  • Genital injuries

Psychological

Victims of sexual violence face both immediate and chronic psychological consequences.^7-9

Immediate psychological consequences include the following:

• Shock
• Denial
• Fear
• Confusion
• Anxiety
• Withdrawal
• Shame or guilt
• Nervousness
• Distrust of others
• Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Emotional detachment
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Flashbacks
  • Mental replay of assault

Chronic psychological consequences include the following: ^{10- 14, 16}

• Depression
• Generalized anxiety
• Attempted or completed suicide
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Diminished interest/avoidance of sex
• Low self-esteem/self-blame

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Social

Sexual violence also has social impacts on its victims, such as the following: ^{3- 6,17}

• Strained relationships with family, friends, and intimate partners
• Less emotional support from friends and family
• Less frequent contact with friends and relatives
• Lower likelihood of marriage
• Isolation or ostracism from family or community

Health Risk Behaviors

Sexual violence victimization is associated with several health risk behaviors.^3,12,18-27  Some researchers view the following health behaviors as both consequences of sexual violence and factors that increase a person’s vulnerability to being victimized again in the future.^24,28

• Engaging in high-risk sexual behavior

• • Unprotected sex
  • Early sexual initiation
  • Choosing unhealthy sexual partners
  • Having multiple sex partners
  • Trading sex for food, money, or other items
• Using harmful substances
  • Smoking cigarettes
  • Drinking alcohol
  • Drinking alcohol and driving
  • Taking drugs
• Unhealthy diet-related behaviors
  • Fasting
  • Vomiting
  • Abusing diet pills
  • Overeating
• Delinquency and criminal behavior
• Failure to engage in healthy behaviors, such as motor vehicle seat belt use

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