-Automatic translation

The United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was on November 25th, and it was also the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. In this issue of Talnabrunnur, the connection between having been subjected to sexual violence and various aspects of health and well-being was examined. The results are not limited to women, but the figures show that many more women have experienced sexual violence than men.

The results show that there is a clear and significant association between having been sexually abused and being diagnosed with various diseases, assessing health-related quality of life poorer and experiencing poorer sleep quality. It should be kept in mind that the kind of data that form the basis of these findings, i.e. cross-sectional data, do not offer conclusions about cause and effect but do point out the connection that exists between having been subjected to sexual violence and assessments of health and well-being.

People who have been subjected to sexual violence value their physical and mental health as well as happiness worse than those who have not been subjected to such violence. There are striking differences between these groups in terms of various disorders, as those who have been sexually abused are significantly more likely to have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, burnout or exhaustion, and other problems related to mental health.

Main results

• Many more women than men have been subjected to sexual violence throughout their lives.

• Women are much more likely than men to experience sexual violence in an intimate relationship, i.e. that the perpetrator was a current or former partner, boyfriend or girlfriend. It is also common for the perpetrator to have been a friend, partner or stranger.

• Men are most likely to report that the perpetrator was a friend, partner, or stranger.

• Those who have been subjected to sexual violence report poorer physical and mental health, have more sleep disorders and score lower on the scale of happiness.

The effects of being sexually assaulted appear to be similar among women and men. Still, it should be kept in mind that many more women than men report having been sexually assaulted. People must be aware of the connection between sexual violence and health and well-being to be able to provide victims with appropriate services and also to realise the importance of preventing sexual violence. Therefore, it is necessary to work on a broad level with integrated measures to prevent people from committing sexual violence.

More information
Jenný Ingudóttir, project manager, jenny.ingudóttir@landlaeknir.is
Andrea Gerður Dofradóttir, project manager, andrea.g.dofradottir@landlaeknir.is