Abuse

The last installment in a series on the physical effects of sexual trauma. To conclude the series, we’re talking about talking: namely, how to talk with sexual partners about any physical effects that you have experienced as a survivor of sexual trauma.

Want to try and seek some closure through a discussion with an abuser or assailant? Here's how to do it as safely as possible.

My parents’ relationship made me deeply insecure. Insecure about the way I looked, insecure about my future prospects, and mostly insecure in my romantic relationships.

My body language announces my distrust of people. This obviously makes it tremendously hard to start new relationships.

There was a text from him: "Sorry about last night." There were calls. Then more texts: "Babe are you ok?" When I responded: "You raped me," he stopped reaching out.

For those of us who struggle with social cues due to a history of trauma, autism, lack of socialization, or other factors, learning to identify potential signs of sexual coercion or impending sexual violence can be empowering.

In this third installment of this series, we hear from a survivor who developed substantial physical concerns after her trauma experiences. Kayla* is a survivor of multiple episodes of sexual trauma, and she has undergone extensive care for her post-traumatic symptoms.

This article -- part two of a four part series on the physical effects of sexual trauma -- focuses on treatment options for pelvic effects that survivors may experience. For survivors struggling with pelvic symptoms, pelvic physical therapy can be an invaluable component of a recovery journey.

In this first of a four-article series, you can learn about the specifically physical patterns that pelvic health physical therapist and health writer Caitlyn and others observe in survivors of sexual trauma, and what the research shows about some of sexual trauma's long-term effects.

Grace is a survivor who has something to ask of you: she's asking you not to spend time with people who have abused me or any other survivor you know. And she's also telling you quite a lot about why.