Childhood Abuse and Its Association with Mid-Aged Women's Sexual Functioning

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the association of recalled childhood sexual and physical abuse with current sexual functioning in mid-life. The sample was participants in the longitudinal population-based cohort of mid-aged women, The Melbourne Women's Midlife Health Project. Three hundred sixty two of the women (92% of the available cohort) were administered the Violence Questionnaire in the sixth year of follow-up. This included questions on physical abuse and sexual abuse experienced in childhood. We used the Short Personal Experiences Questionnaire (Dennerstein, Anderson-Hunt, & Dudley, 2002) to assess current sexual functioning. Forty eight percent of the women had no experience of childhood sexual abuse, 42% had experienced noncontact sexual abuse, 36% had experienced contact sexual abuse, and 7% had experienced penetrative sexual abuse. Nine percent of the women had experienced physical abuse in childhood. Women who had experienced penetrative childhood sexual abuse were significantly more likely to have fewer children (median 2) than women who had not experienced penetrative childhood sexual abuse (median 3) (P < 0.05). The only area of sexual or relational functioning significantly affected by childhood sexual abuse was that of feelings for partner (P < 0.05). Those who experienced penetrative childhood sexual abuse had, on average, significantly shorter current relationships (P < 0.05). Women who had experienced both childhood sexual and physical abuse reported a lower frequency of current sexual activities (P < 0.05). This study of mid-aged women found that the major impact of childhood sexual abuse is on the quality of relationship with the partner.