Sexuality Issues for Adult Survivors of Incest and Child Sexual Abuse

As advocates we are familiar with the profound effects sexual violence can have on an individual’s sexual functioning. As human beings in this society, we are aware of the profound affect sexual functioning or lack thereof has on identity and self-esteem. Incidence surveys consistently tell us at least one in three women and one in six men will experience sexual assault within their lifetimes. Anecdotal information from clinicians as well as qualitative studies tell us that many of these survivors experience some level of sexual dysfunction. What can we conclude from all of this information? We can conclude that sexuality issues for sexual assault survivors are common, and that this issue has astounding effects on the communities in which we live. Using deductive reasoning we can also state that if we increase our ability to address issues of sexuality effectively, we will increase our capacity to do our best work.