�Թϲ�����

The first sexual experience for 1 in 16 U.S. women was forced or coerced intercourse in their early teens, encounters that for some may have had lasting health repercussions, a study suggests. The experiences amount to rape, the authors say, although they relied on a national survey that didn’t use the word in asking women about forced sex. (Tanner, 9/16)

Almost 7% of women surveyed said their first sexual intercourse experience was involuntary. It occurred when they were 15 years old, on average, and the man was often several years older. Almost half of the women who said intercourse was involuntary said they were held down, and slightly more than half of them said they were verbally pressured to have sex against their will. (Tanner, 9/16)

Some 50% of women surveyed said the perpetrator was larger or older. More than 46% of the women were held down. In 56% of the instances, men used verbal pressure. Men used a physical threats more than 26% of the time and caused physical harm in more than 25% of the instances. Some 22% of the women were drugged. Survivors faced long-term consequences, such as increased rates of HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis and menstrual problems. More than 30% said they had an unwanted first pregnancy, while 24% said they had ever had an abortion in their lifetime -- higher percentages than among women whose first sexual intercourse was voluntary. (Christensen, 9/16)

"It's quite alarming, and that's just the tip of the iceberg because this study is only including women aged 18 to 44," says Dr. Laura Hawks, the main author of the new study and a research fellow at the Cambridge Health Alliance, a health care provider in Cambridge, Mass. "You can imagine that if we asked this of women of all ages, the absolutely number would be many millions higher." (Chatterjee, 9/16)

A patient’s exposure to sexual violence “needs to be top of mind for medical professionals, particularly those serving teenagers and young adults, said said Scott Berkowitz, president of the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. “Any physical exam can be traumatizing for someone who has encountered physical or sexual violence in the past.” Nearly half of all victims of sexual violence who call RAINN’s national hotline are under age 18, Berkowitz said. Younger people are at greater risk and while there is no guaranteed prevention he said there are steps children and young adults can take to lower risk. (Santhanam, 9/16)

The findings did not surprise those who work in the field of rape prevention, who commended researchers for shedding light on the prevalence and impact of sexual trauma. “This study quantifies what we see . . . every day, including the ways that sexual harassment, abuse, and assault are inextricably linked with health problems,” said Gina Scaramella, executive director of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. “Rape and sexual assault are much more common than generally recognized, and the effects on long-term health can be significant.” (Ebbert, 9/16)