title: Sexual Violence Victimization and Associations with Health in a Community Sample of Hispanic Women.
abstract: This study sought to add to the limited information currently available on circumstances of sexual violence victimization and associated negative health experiences among Hispanic women. Data come from a community sample of mostly Mexican women in an urban southwestern city. Household interviews were completed with a sample of 142 women during 3 months in 2010. Findings indicate that 31.2% of women reported rape victimization and 22.7% reported being sexually coerced in their lifetime. Victims of rape and/or sexual coercion were significantly more likely to report symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during their lifetime. Among victims whose first unwanted sexual experience resulted in rape and/or sexual coercion, perpetrators were almost always someone known to the victims, and were mostly family members or intimate partners, depending on the victim's age. About one-fifth of victims were injured and 17.1% needed medical services. These findings suggest the need for more attention to the physical and mental health needs of sexually victimized Hispanic women.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Kathleen C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Basile
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Sharon G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Mikel L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Walters
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Dawnovise N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hawk
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Merle E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hamburger
keywords: Hispanic women; help-seeking; negative health experiences; rape; sexual coercion; sexual violence