Survivors put a great deal of effort in making their close relationships with partners and children work. Survivors of childhood sexual violence will experience difficulties with friendships and work relations. Survivors of childhood sexual violence attempt to maintain relations with their families even though this involves considerable strain. Despite the extent, chronicity and range of illness reported, women did not focus on illness. They are not 'hypochondriacs' and on the contrary often underrated the seriousness of their conditions.
Women pay a third of their income on rent or mortgage.
Survivors do not go out often because they are fearful of crowds and socialising. Low rates of sexually transmitted infections and high risk sexual behaviours challenge the myth of sexual promiscuity by survivors of sexual abuse. There were significant differences between the responses to interview schedules and to sealed schedules, highlighting the necessity of well-contrived processes to provide survivors with opportunities to discuss the full extent of health impacts on their lives. The average time between first and second telling about their childhood sexual violence was 17 years. Children may be taken to traditional services like doctors and hospitals for persistent illness or injury.