Signs of past sexual trauma how to#

The Voices and Faces Project hosts writing workshops for people who have experienced gender-based violence called The Stories We Tell.Hypersexuality can be considered now as a reactive form of a major affective psychopathology derived from a trauma, hiding the real issues of a suffering personality. RAINN offers information on recovering from sexual violence, a national hotline (80), and access to local resources. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center has a list of groups that offer online support for sexual violence survivors. Resourcesīoston Area Rape Crisis Center has a phone (80) or web chat hotline and offers a range of resources to people in the greater Boston area. If you're a provider, listen carefully and do all you can to create a safe space that allows women to obtain the care that they need without compromise. If you're a survivor of sexual violence, I encourage you to openly communicate with your health care providers. I hope you're willing to go slowly, stop for a break, or even stop the exam if I start feeling overwhelmed.' 'It might help if you explain steps before doing them. Please also share anything that you've found helpful.

Signs of past sexual trauma how to#

You can share any ideas you have about how to make you comfortable during a pelvic exam or any medical exam.

You can even keep it vague: 'Pelvic exams are difficult for me because of my history.'.

I'd rather not talk about the details, though.'

You could say a few words about what worries you: being touched, needing to undress, having a pelvic exam.You might start by saying, 'I feel anxious when I come to the doctor.'.

People may start the conversation in different ways. I always tell my patients, particularly those with a history of sexual trauma, that they have control over their bodies and the exam, and that my office is a safe space for them. I appreciate it when patients voice their concerns. They can dictate the pace of the pelvic exam and tell me if they need a break or feel overwhelmed.Īs the patient, it can feel difficult to ask this much, but as a women's health physician, one way in which I can address a woman's anxiety about a pelvic exam is by giving her control over the exam and over her body. They can choose to establish rapport prior to undergoing a pelvic exam, even if that necessitates multiple visits. In my practice, I want my patients to feel empowered to inform me of their history, without ever feeling the need to delve into specifics or details. How can you talk to your doctor about trauma?Ĭommunication is key to the physician-patient relationship, especially when a patient has a history of trauma. And they wanted to be able to control how much or how little of their bodies they exposed. At the time of delivery, they wanted to know who would be present in the labor and delivery room. These women wanted their health care providers to know about their history of sexual trauma. While taking the initial step to proceed with a gynecologic visit or pelvic exam may feel insurmountable, there are ways that health care providers and patients can approach this visit to make it feel safe for survivors.Ī study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology focused on survivors of sexual assault who were pregnant and analyzed what helped them throughout the pregnancy and during the time of delivery. They may also be affected by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can make them feel as though they are being re-traumatized by a pelvic exam. Studies have found that survivors of sexual assault have higher rates of anxiety compared to the general population. However, little discussion has focused on the intersection of trauma and health care.

On social media, the hashtag #triggerwarning alerts viewers to potentially disturbing information. Discussions engendered by the movement connected us to people rather than just to a number, subtly shifting how we as a society think about and process sexual violence. The #MeToo movement empowered women to speak out about their experiences. Statistics tell us that one of out of every three women has experienced sexual violence. Even for women without a history of sexual trauma, pelvic exams and a visit to the gynecologist may be embarrassing or painful for women with a history of sexual trauma, it can be unbearable. As an obstetrician-gynecologist, I have had patients who experienced sexual assault confess that they have avoided or delayed seeking medical care due to their anxiety surrounding pelvic exams. If you're a survivor of sexual assault or trauma, medical visits may heighten anxiety, particularly if you're concerned that a pelvic exam will be performed.