Get Healthy!

Results for search "Sex: Abuse / Rape".

Health News Results - 31

Teen Dating Violence Sets Stage for Future Abusive Relationships

Teens who are abused by a romantic partner may suffer long-lasting repercussions, and this is especially true for girls, a new analysis finds.

Investigators who reviewed 38 studies concluded that teenage dating violence was linked to a higher risk for additional relationship violence in the teen years and even into adulthood.

These unhealthy relationships were also associated...

Know Your Boundaries: Tips to Teach Kids About Body Safety

It's important for children to learn about body safety and boundaries.

Empowering them with information can help them recognize unsafe situations and may help protect them from abuse.

“Children and teens who feel in control of their bodies are less likely to fall prey to sexual abusers,” said

New Bill Would Ensure Free Exams for Sexual Assault Victims

After a sexual assault, some victims are charged for the initial treatment and collection of evidence, even though U.S. federal law requires those services to be free.

Now, a new federal bill aims to change that by requiring private insurance companies to cover these costs for their customers.

"This legislat...

ERs Seeing Huge Rise in Cases of Sexual Assault

Victims of sexual assault are seeking treatment in U.S. emergency rooms in growing numbers, with University of Michigan (UM) researchers detecting a 15-fold increase between 2006 and 2019.

Rapes and other forms of sexual assault occur every 68 seconds in the United States, and their number rose from 93,000 in 2006 to nearly 140,000 in 2019, according to data from the U.S. Federal Bureau o...

Online Sexual Abuse of Kids Is Common; Perps Usually Friends, Partners

Substantial numbers of kids and teens are being tracked, lured and sexually abused online, and adult strangers aren't always the perps.

In many cases, it's friends and dating partners who are doing the grooming, a new study shows.

The prevailing image of online sexual abuse is an older predator ...

Too Often, Victims of Sexual Assault Face High Medical Bills

Some survivors of sexual assault may face a further trauma after seeking medical care: a huge emergency room bill.

That's the finding of a new study that analyzed U.S. emergency department charges for care related to sexual assault. Researchers found that survivors wi...

Abuse Early in Life May Mean Tougher Menopause Decades Later

It's well-known that hot flashes, sleep disturbances and symptoms of depression are common issues during menopause. Yet not every woman experiences these symptoms at the same level of severity.

A new study suggests...

Leading U.S. Pediatricians' Group Issues Guidelines to Prevent Patient Abuse

Recent years have seen several high-profile cases of doctors sexually abusing young patients. Now the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is issuing new recommendations aimed at prevention.

Medical visits are usually a safe place for children and teenagers, but when abuse does happen, it is an egregious violation.

One reason, the AAP says, is because parents and kids trust that hea...

New Law Expands Care for Rape Victims

Expanded care for sexual assault victims is a main feature of the Violence Against Women Act that was signed into law Tuesday by President Joe Biden.

Along with providing greater access to rape testing ki...

Sexual Harassment, Assault Tied to High Blood Pressure in Women

Sexual assault and workplace sexual harassment may increase women's long-term risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, a new study suggests.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, which is the leading killer of U.S. women, accounting for one in three deaths.

Sexual ...

Trauma in Childhood Can Harm Health for a Lifetime: Study

As if suffering through a childhood trauma weren't enough, new research suggests it might raise the risk of poor mental and physical health later in life.

Researchers analyzed nearly 2,900 responses to the 2019 New Zealand Family Violence Survey and found that about 45% of respondents said they had no adverse childhood events, a majority experienced at least one, and one-third reported mo...

Abuse in Childhood May Shorten Adult Lives: Study

Child abuse and neglect can do significant and long-lasting damage, according to a six-decade review of British data.

The analysis of records dating to the late 1950s found that children who experienced physical or sexual abuse were more likely to die early as adults.

"Our work shows the long-lasting consequences that specific types of child abuse and neglect can have. The findings ...

Sexual Assault Could Affect a Woman's Long-Term Brain Health

It's known that sexual assault affects a woman's physical and mental health. Now, researchers say these traumatic incidents may also harm her brain health.

A new study found that traumatic experiences, including sexual violence, may be linked to greater risk of dementia, stroke and other brain disorders.

"Identifying early warning signs of stroke and dementia are critical to providi...

PTSD Common After Sexual Assault, But Eases for Most

Most sexual assault survivors have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) immediately after the attack, but it tends to lessen over the following months, a new study finds.

"One of the main takeaways is that the majority of recovery from post-traumatic stress happens in the first three months," said study lead author Emily Dworkin, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral scienc...

1 in 4 Doctors Harassed Online, Study Finds

One in four doctors has been personally attacked or sexually harassed on social media, a new study finds.

Women are more likely to be sexually harassed, while both men and women are attacked based on religion, race or medical recommendations, researchers say.

Doctors received negative reviews, coordinated harassment, threats at work, public exposure of their personal information and...

Knowing What to Expect May Help After Sexual Assault

Sexual assault is common in America, with an attack occurring every 73 seconds. But having supportive care at the emergency department and afterwards can help heal the trauma, Penn State doctors say.

One in five women is raped during their lifetime, yet only 25% report it, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. The closer the relationship is between the vic...

Drug Might Curb Dangerous Urges in Pedophiles: Study

A testosterone-lowering drug can reduce male pedophiles' risk of sexually abusing children, according to a new Swedish study.

The drug, called degarelix, is used to treat prostate cancer and turns off production of testosterone. It's given by injection every three months and can lower testosterone levels within hours, according to researchers.

The study included 52 male pedo...

Sexual Victimization Persists in U.S. Military for LGBTQs: Study

Lesbian, gay and bisexual members in the U.S. military are at higher risk for sexual harassment, sexual assault and stalking, a new study reports.

And that sexual victimization can trigger mental health problems such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use and suicidal behavior, researchers say.

They surveyed 544 active-duty U.S. service members, includi...

Many Parents Delay Telling Kids About Inappropriate Touching: Poll

Many American parents haven't talked with their young children about inappropriate touching, a new poll finds.

Experts recommend starting that discussion during a child's preschool years, but the nationwide poll of more than 1,100 parents of 2- to 9-year-olds found that less than half of parents of preschoolers and only one-quarter of those with elementary school-age children had had ...

Gay, Lesbian Teens at High Odds for Physical, Sexual Abuse

Lesbian, gay and bisexual teens are far more likely than their straight peers to suffer physical and/or sexual violence, new research warns.

The warning stems from surveys of nearly 29,000 teens, aged 14 to 18, conducted in 2015 and 2017 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Overall, LGBQ teens (lesbian, gay, bisexual and teens who are questioning their se...

Texting Trauma: Many Teens Suffer 'Digital Dating Abuse'

Many U.S. teenagers may be using their smartphones to harass, humiliate or otherwise abuse their dating partners.

That's according to a recent national survey of teens who'd been in a romantic relationship in the past year. Researchers found that 28% had been victims of "digital dating abuse" -- surprisingly, with boys being targets more often than girls.

While teen dati...

Even Female Bosses Face Sexual Harrassment: Study

When most people think of sexual harassment of females on the job, they assume it's happening to lower-level staffers. But surprisingly, women supervisors actually encounter more of it than other female workers, a new study finds.

Researchers examined workplace sexual harassment in the United States, Japan and Sweden. They found that female supervisors experienced between 30% and ...

Sports Coaches Recruited to Help Stop Dating Violence

So-called "locker-room talk" among boys can actually be used to promote respect toward girls, a new study reports.

Teenage boys are less likely to be abusive or sexually violent in a relationship after they've taken part in Coaching Boys Into Men, a prevention program delivered by athletic coaches as part of sports training, according to research results.

They're also more l...

Two-Thirds of Child Abuse Survivors Do Well as Adults

Two in three survivors of childhood sexual abuse have good mental health, but a new study suggests that social isolation, chronic pain, substance abuse and depression can hinder recovery.

Researchers looked at 651 Canadian survivors to identify factors associated with what the researchers call complete mental health.

"Remarkably, two-thirds [65%] of the childhood sexual ...

U.S. ERs See Doubling of Teen Sexual Abuse Cases

Sexually abused youths are turning more often to U.S. emergency departments for help, a new study finds.

Among youths ages 12-17, emergency department admissions for sexual abuse more than doubled from 2010 to 2016, even as rates of sexual abuse showed a decline, researchers found.

Rates in other child age groups remained the same, according to the Saint Louis University stu...

Many Female Veterans Troubled by History of Sexual Assault

More than one in 10 older female veterans experienced sexual assault while on active duty, a new study shows.

Doctors "caring for older women veterans should recognize the prevalence and importance of [military sexual trauma] when assessing patients' health concerns," said study author Dr. Carolyn Gibson.

Gibson is with the San Francisco VA Health Care System. Her team notes...

First Sexual Experience Was Forced for 1 in 16 U.S. Women

Changes wrought by the #MeToo movement can't come soon enough, say researchers who found that for 1 in 16 U.S. women, their first sexual experience was forced.

"In a nationally representative sample of more than 13,000 women, 6.5% said their first sexual encounters was forced as opposed to voluntary," said the study's lead author, Dr. Laura Hawks.

That's equivalent...

Adult Support Can Make the Difference for Boys From Tough Neighborhoods

Strong adult social support can help prevent violence among teen boys growing up in poor neighborhoods, new research shows.

The study included nearly 900 boys in poor areas of Pittsburgh, aged 13 to 19, who took part in a sexual violence prevention trial.

The researchers looked at 40 risk behaviors in categories such as youth violence, bullying, sexual and/or dating violen...

1 in 8 Teen Girls Has Faced 'Reproductive Coercion'

A staggering number of teen girls are experiencing an insidious form of relationship abuse: reproductive coercion.

Researchers report that it affects 1 in 8 adolescent girls who are sexually active.

Reproductive coercion is a form of abuse in which a girl or woman is pressured into pregnancy. From a male partner threatening to leave if his female partner refuses to have his ...

Nearly 1 in 4 Home Care Aides Faces Verbal Abuse

Being yelled at or insulted is never easy. But it's a situation faced by about one-quarter of U.S. home health care workers, a new study finds.

Certain environments, such as caring for someone with dementia or working in a very cramped space, were linked to a higher risk of verbal abuse from patients or their kin.

"Our study found that aides frequently experience verbal abus...

Team Sports Could Help Traumatized Kids Grow Into Healthy Adults

Coming from a broken home or suffering abuse can traumatize a child, but new research suggests team sports might be just the medicine these kids need.

Tracking U.S. health data from nearly 10,000 people, researchers found that teens who experienced childhood trauma and played team sports had lower odds of depression and anxiety as young adults.

"As a pediatrician going thro...