The Impact of Sexual Trauma on the Sexual Health of Women Veterans: A Comprehensive Review

Pulverman, Carey S.; Creech, Suzannah K.

doi:10.1177/1524838019870912

Cited by 20 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…Previous work has pointed toward the experience of MST as being particularly deleterious to the reproductive and perinatal health of women veterans in terms of sexual function, IPV during pregnancy, perinatal depression, and other mental health disorders during pregnancy ( Blais et al, 2018 ; Creech et al, 2021 ; Gross et al, 2020 ; Katon et al, 2018 ; Mattocks et al, 2010 ; Pulverman & Creech, 2019 ; Pulverman et al, 2019 ; Turchik et al, 2012 ). Findings from this study point toward yet another negative consequence of military sexual assault and harassment with a unique impact on women during reproductive years, and underscore the need for further study of parent-child outcomes in veteran samples to understand the intergenerational consequences of sexual trauma in military service.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to MST, women in the military are exposed to military medical trauma (exposure to combat injuries as a healthcare provider), and combat trauma ( Mattocks et al, 2012 ), all of which are associated with increased rates of psychopathology ( Bean-Mayberry et al, 2011 ). There is growing concern about the experience of MST as being particularly deleterious to the reproductive and perinatal health of women veterans ( Katon et al, 2018 ; Pulverman & Creech, 2019 ). For example, recent studies show that those who have experienced MST are more likely have a sexual dysfunction disorder ( Turchik et al, 2012 ) including lower sexual function and satisfaction ( Blais et al, 2018 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The impact of military sexual trauma on parent‐infant bonding in a sample of perinatal women veterans

Creech

Kroll‐Desrosiers

Benzer

et al. 2021

Depression and Anxiety

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Background: The experience of sexual assault and harassment during military service (military sexual trauma [MST]) is associated with increased risk for perinatal and reproductive health problems among women veterans. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between mothers' MST exposure and mother-infant bonding, as well as to examine whether there are any salient sociodemographic or military service characteristics among women veterans with greater impairment to mother-infant bonding, including stress during pregnancy and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis.Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of data collected from prospective, longitudinal study of women veterans using VHA maternity care benefits at 15 VHA medical centers across the US between January 2016 and February 2020. Participants were 697 pregnant veterans using VHA maternity care benefits.Results: MST was associated with higher maternal depression, and higher maternal depression was associated with poorer mother-infant bonding. The effect of MST on bonding was indirect through depression. PTSD diagnosis and life stressors during pregnancy also had significant indirect pathways with bonding through maternal depression.Conclusions: Results underscore the need for access to high quality and traumainformed perinatal mental health treatment for women veterans, for education on the unique risks conveyed by MST provided to civilian providers treating this population outside VA, and for further research to understand how to ameliorate the harmful effects of MST on perinatal women veterans and their children.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of military sexual trauma on parent‐infant bonding in a sample of perinatal women veterans

Creech

Kroll‐Desrosiers

Benzer

et al. 2021

Depression and Anxiety

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“…11,12,21 Among women veterans, sexual dysfunction, including painful sex, is associated with MDD and PTSD. 18,22 Identifying and treating sexual dysfunction is important to enhancing veterans' overall health and well-being. As the entry point to the health care system, primary care is the ideal setting for identifying sexual health concerns, with primary care providers (PCPs) positioned as the first point of contact.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual Dysfunction and Preferences for Discussing Sexual Health Concerns Among Veteran Primary Care Patients

et al. 2021

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Background: Sexual health is an important, yet often overlooked, aspect of overall health. Veterans may be particularly at risk for sexual dysfunction. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence and correlates of sexual dysfunction and examine preferences among veterans for discussing sexual problems.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we mailed 1500 surveys to a random sample of primary care patients from 3 Veterans Affairs medical centers; 313 were returned (21% response rate) and 248 had complete data. Veterans (M age = 49.4 years) were mostly White (86.7%), women (60.9%), and married (79.0%). The Arizona Sexual Experience Scale was used to screen for sexual dysfunction.Results: Half of veterans, 62.3% of women and 32.0% of men, screened positive for sexual dysfunction. More than 60% of veterans agreed that the primary care team should provide information, proactively ask, and inquire on medical history forms about sexual problems; 59.3% were open to meeting with behavioral health providers.Conclusions: Primary care providers should ask veterans about sexual health, as sexual dysfunction was prevalent, especially among women and among men over age 65. Most veterans were receptive to being asked about sexual problems in primary care and preferred to be asked rather than bring it up.

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“…Female sexual dysfunction refers to an impaired ‘ability to respond sexually or to experience sexual pleasure’ (American Psychiatric Association, 2013 ) and can take different forms of impairment to the stages of sexual response, such as a decreased sexual arousal, a lack of sexual desire, inability to achieve orgasm, decreased sexual satisfaction, pain during sexual activity, or a combination of these problems (Basson, 2001 ; Hayes, Bennett, Fairley, & Dennerstein, 2006 ). Studies have shown that a history of sexual trauma is associated with impaired sexual functioning (Pulverman & Creech, 2019 ; Pulverman, Kilimnik, & Meston, 2018 ) and pelvic floor overactivity in women (Cichowski, Dunivan, Komesu, & Rogers, 2013 ; Hart et al, 2012 ; Laan & van Lunsen, 2016 ), especially when PTSD is developed (Yehuda, Lehrner, & Rosenbaum, 2015 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date, most studies investigating the relationship between trauma, sexual function and pelvic floor overactivity studied interpersonal trauma, most notably sexual trauma exposure (Hart et al, 2012 ; Pulverman & Creech, 2019 ; Pulverman et al, 2018 ; Yehuda et al, 2015 ). It is known that interpersonal trauma increases the risk for PTSD (Kessler et al, 2017 ), but it remains unclear to what extent PTSD symptoms are associated with sexual dysfunction after exposure to non-interpersonal traumatic events.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual function and pelvic floor activity in women: the role of traumatic events and PTSD symptoms

Karsten

Wekker

Bakker

et al. 2020

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

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Background: Traumatic sexual experiences can negatively affect sexual functioning and increase pelvic floor activity in women, especially when post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is developed. However, little is known about the effect of other types of interpersonal and non-interpersonal, traumatic experiences on sexual function and pelvic floor overactivity. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of lifetime traumatic experiences and subsequent PTSD symptoms on sexual function and pelvic floor activity and to investigate whether the effects differ for interpersonal and non-interpersonal trauma. Methods: Women (N=82) with obesity and a history of infertility, participating in a follow-up study of an RCT investigating a lifestyle intervention programme, completed questionnaires on lifetime exposure to traumatic events (LEC-5), PTSD symptoms (PC-PTSD-5), sexual function (MFSQ) and pelvic floor activity (AOPFS-SV). Results: A large majority of women (85%) reported exposure to at least one traumatic event during their lifetime. Sexual function and pelvic floor activity did not differ between women who experienced non-interpersonal or interpersonal (including sexual) trauma and those who did not experience traumatic events during their lifetime. Women who had developed PTSD symptoms, however, did have higher pelvic floor activity, but sexual function was not affected. Women with a positive screen for PTSD had the highest pelvic floor activity score, and individual PTSD symptoms nightmares and hypervigilance were associated with significantly higher pelvic floor activity scores. Conclusion: Trauma exposure is associated with pelvic floor overactivity in women with a positive screen for PTSD, such that pelvic floor overactivity is more severe with greater PTSD severity. These findings suggest that the development of PTSD after interpersonal trauma is pivotal in this association. Sexual function was unrelated to trauma exposure and pelvic floor function, perhaps related to the fact that the interpersonal trauma events reported in this study were mainly non-sexual.

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The Impact of Sexual Trauma on the Sexual Health of Women Veterans: A Comprehensive Review

Cited by 20 publications

References 80 publications

The impact of military sexual trauma on parent‐infant bonding in a sample of perinatal women veterans

The impact of military sexual trauma on parent‐infant bonding in a sample of perinatal women veterans

Sexual Dysfunction and Preferences for Discussing Sexual Health Concerns Among Veteran Primary Care Patients

Sexual function and pelvic floor activity in women: the role of traumatic events and PTSD symptoms

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