Post-traumatic stress disorder in female survivors of rape attending a genitourinary medicine clinic: a pilot study

This study describes psychological symptomatology including posttraumatic s tress disorder (PTSD) in 19 women attending a specialist sexual assault ser vice within a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic. Women were interviewed w ithin one year post-rape (mean=12 weeks) using standardized questionnaires for PTSD and other psychological symptomatology. Seventeen (89.5%) of 19 wo men met full criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD. Anxiety predominated amongst other psychological symptomatology. Suicidal ideation was reported by 8 wo men and one made a suicide attempt following the rape. Although it is ackno wledged this is a small, select sample, the high level of psychological tra uma found suggests that genitourinary medicine clinics providing for sexual assault require access to mental health professionals.