BACKGROUND. Childhood sexual abuse has been established as an
antecedent to specific psychological disorders in adulthood. Only
recently have researchers begun to consider the effects of this early
trauma on subsequent physical health status. The current study sought
to explore the relationship between a history of childhood sexual
abuse in female adults and subsequent self-reported medical
complaints. METHODS. This consecutive sample study used a
questionnaire to distinguish subjects with a sexual abuse history and
those without such a history. Subjects were female patients over 18
years of age at a primary care health center. RESULTS. Twenty-six
percent of the 523 subjects who completed the entire questionnaire
acknowledged a history of sexual abuse in childhood. This percentage
is consistent with estimates for the population at large. The abused
group reported more problems in respiratory, gastrointestinal,
musculoskeletal, neurological, and gynecological
functions. Statistically significant discriminating variables for
those who had been abused were (1) total medical complaints reported,
(2) previous mental health treatment, and (3) age of first sexual
intercourse. Among the abused group, only 5.1% had ever disclosed
information about their sexual abuse experiences to a
physician. CONCLUSIONS. At least one in four women are survivors of
childhood sexual abuse. These women rarely spontaneously reveal this
history to a physician, yet they are more likely than nonabused
patients to report multisystemic medical complaints. To avoid
misdiagnosis and misuse of medical services, physicians should
routinely obtain a thorough sexual history, particularly when the
patient has multisystem complaints.