Indicators of childhood sexual abuse in gynaecological patients in a general practice

Abstract

Objective - To find indicators of a history of childhood sexual abuse in patients consulting for a gynaecological examination in a general practice. Design - Semistructured interview after a consultation. Setting - General practice in the city of Oslo, Norway. Participants - Of 117 women aged 20-49 with a gynaeco- logical problem, 85 were interviewed. Main outcome measure - History of childhood sexual abuse. Results - 24 (28% of 85 women interviewed by their female GP when consulting for a gynaecological problem reported childhood sexual abuse. In total they reported 32 abusive events, quite different as to the type of assault, the relation to the offender, and the duration. A history of pelvic pain or gynaecological surgery showed a significant association with reported childhood sexual abuse with odds ratios of 4.0 (CI 1.0-15.8) and 4.1 (CI 1.0-17.0), respectively. As adverse sexual experiences may lead to somatization as a coping strategy, certain findings might be indicators of unknown childhood sexual abuse in patients presenting for gynaecological disorders. Conclusion - A history of pelvic pain and gynaecological surgery may be indicators of sexual abuse in childhood. © 1993 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted.