Sexual Concerns

The assault may disrupt the sexual life of the survivor because sex, which usually involves pleasure, was instead used as a weapon to humiliate, control and punish. It will probably take some time for the survivor to disassociate the sexual assault from consensual sex. Acts the assailant forced a survivor to do that they were not used to doing will probably cause particular difficulty. Survivors may experience physical pain during sex, have difficulty relaxing, or be generally indifferent to sex. At the other extreme, some survivors may desire sex all the time. Most likely, a person's behavior will fall between these two extremes. If the survivor was a virgin at the time of the assault, she/he may have a heightened fear of a first consensual sexual encounter. The survivor may be concerned about their partner's reaction to them. Survivors may wonder if a partner will feel differently toward them. Because of the range of stresses the survivor experiences after an assault, consensual sexual relationships and other friendships can be placed under heavy strain. Current statistics indicate that about half of all survivors lose their love relationships within a year of sexual assault.