NCJ Number
144245
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: (1991) Pages: 111-121
Date Published
1991
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Fifteen adult women victims of child sexual abuse completed questionnaires about childhood sexual abuse histories and about their pregnancies, miscarriages, terminations, and births, totaling 81 pregnancies for this study. Their answers were compared to those given by a control group of 13 women who reported no history of child sexual abuse.
Abstract
The questions covered the nature of sexual abuse, other forms of childhood abuse, previously identified risk factors that might affect giving birth or cause medical complications, stresses and psychological problems during pregnancy, pre- and perinatal attachments, medical problems and interventions during pregnancy and childbirth, lengths of pregnancies, lengths of labors, birth weights, pregnancy terminations, and miscarriages. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse reported having more pregnancy terminations, were younger at first pregnancies, perceived themselves as being under more stress during pregnancy, and reported higher birth weights, longer labors, longer pregnancies, and more pregnancy-related medical problems. The subjects also commented on their feelings of isolation and loss of control. The results seem to support models that predict impairment with normal physiological mechanisms, perhaps through stress-activated emotional and biochemical processes. 21 references