The bottom line, both in terms of people and of dollars - is that we cannot afford not to ask these questions. Sexual Abuse Sexual abuse is a major problem in this country. Women are particularly likely to have been victimized, and this history may predispose them to a number of problems as adults, including sleep disturbances, sexual dysfunction, substance abuse, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and a host of other psychiatric problems. No matter what field of medicine you practice, it is important to ask about a possible history of sexual abuse. You cannot manage these patients adequately unless you understand what may lie behind their medical and psychiatric problems.
Sexual abuse is extremely difficult for victims and caretakers to talk about.
Many victims have never told anyone about their past or current abuse, but studies have demonstrated that most patients are glad to have someone with whom to talk. Sexual Orientation Physicians care for patients with all sexual orientations. There are several manners in which this information is relevant to medical care. It is important to know what a person's sexual practices are in order to know whether to culture vagina, rectum, or pharynx. In general, gay, lesbian, and bisexual patients face the same kinds of medical and psychological problems that heterosexual patients may face.