THE PREVALENCE OF PREVIOUS SEXUAL ASSAULT AMONG ROUTINE FEMALE ATTENDERS AT A DEPARTMENT OF GENITOURINARY MEDICINE

One hundred and fifty women who attended the routine genitourinary med icine (GUM) clinic at the Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) between Augu st 1993 and February 1994 completed a questionnaire enquiring into a p ast history of sexual assault. Of these, 52 (34.7%) confirmed that the y had been assaulted previously, 18 below the age of 16, 22 after this age and 12 in both age groups. Non penetrative abuse was most common in those violated as miners and vaginal penetration in women assaulted over the age of 16. The strongest demographic indicator for sexual ab use among this study group was that of a current divorced/separated ma rital status. Assailants of miners were most likely to be someone know n to the family whereas male intimates accounted for a third of assaul ts on older women. Sexual dysfunction was acknowledged by approximatel y half of those previously assaulted as a sequelae of abuse. It is imp ortant that GUM physicians remain alert for sequelae of sexual abuse a nd offer services appropriate to the victim's needs.