Sexual assault increases women’s risk of infertility by 33%, study finds
- University of Iowa researchers interviewed 1,000 female veterans
- They found 20 percent of them were infertile
- Sexual assault was one of the biggest factors distinguishing the infertile group from the fertile one
Sexual assault may increase a woman’s risk of infertility, according to a new study on the high rate of female veterans who’ve been assaulted.
Researchers interviewed 1,000 female veterans, and found one in five were infertile.
To their surprise, sexual assault seemed to be one of the biggest factors distinguishing the infertile group from the fertile one.
Women who could not conceive their own biological children were 33 percent more likely to have been sexually assaulted compared to the non-infertile group – a significant gap.
The study conducted by researchers at the University of Iowa is the first to look at reproductive health in American women who’ve served in the armed forces (file image)
‘This study reinforces our understanding that infertility is often related to other health conditions,’ said Catherine Racowsky, PhD, vice president of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
‘A crucial finding here is the strikingly high number of our female veterans who have suffered from sexual assault, and its potential to impact on their fertility.’
The study, which will be presented this week at the ASRM conference in Denver, was conducted by researchers at the University of Iowa.
It is the first to look at reproductive health and chronic disease in American women who’ve served in the armed forces.
Using computer-assisted technology, they surveyed 966 women aged 21 to 52 who were enrolled in the VA.
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Eighteen percent of them had not been able to conceive despite repeated attempts.
There were a number of defining factors.
Many of the women in the infertile group had a history of smoking, were older, and were less likely to be white than the fertile group.
They also had higher rates of cancer (14 percent of them, compared to eight percent of the fertile group) and of chronic pain (65 percent versus 54 percent).
Sexually assault was strikingly high among all of the women interviewed, but higher in the infertile group (60 percent, compared to 45 percent of the fertile women).
The study comes days after research from Pitt School of Medicine showed sexual assault increases women’s risks of a number of health issues – many of which increase the risk of infertility.
Survivors of sexual assault are twice as likely to suffer hypertension and anxiety, and three times more likely to suffer major depression than women who have not been assaulted.
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