[Special Guest] Supporting Survivors Part 2: Life Long Term

[Chessca_H]

Hi @j95, @Moya and @scared01! Glad to have you hear

[CaroSarc]

Hi everyone, that's a great question. There can be many psychosocial consequences following a sexual assault.  Some of these may include long term relationship difficulties (including with sex and intimacy), difficulties with managing feelings, sleep disturbances, anxiety and recurring memories of the sexual assault.   

[Kim-SARC]

One of the things that doesn't get spoken about much is that people can be affected later when having a genital examination with their GP or when they are pregnant and having to be examined.  Mostly people do not realise that this can be traumatic or triggering for them.  The midwives will often have training in this area, but you still have to tell them about your history.

[Chessca_H]

@CaroSarc the effects can be so broad and so individual to each survivor. I don't think it get's talked about enough that what might be a "normal" reaction for one survivor may be completely different to another.

[Ben-RO]

Just in case you're wondering what "psychosocial" means. It basically means the stuff that happens in our heads- like the way we think about things or see problems, and how that impacts the way we talk or interact with the people around us  

---

@CaroSarc wrote:

Hi everyone, that's a great question. There can be many psychosocial consequences following a sexual assault.  Some of these may include long term relationship difficulties (including with sex and intimacy), difficulties with managing feelings, sleep disturbances, anxiety and recurring memories of the sexual assault.   

---

[Ben-RO]

Thank you for sharing that @Kim-SARC. Can you suggest ways that people can let the person looking after them know about their history if they find it hard to talk about? 

---

@Kim-SARC wrote:

One of the things that doesn't get spoken about much is that people can be affected later when having a genital examination with their GP or when they are pregnant and having to be examined.  Mostly people do not realise that this can be traumatic or triggering for them.  The midwives will often have training in this area, but you still have to tell them about your history.

---

[FootyFan26]

Hey @Kim-SARC @CaroSarc @Moya and @Jacinta-SARC!  I am wondering what your roles are at SARC, could you tell me a bit about yourselves?

[Chessca_H]

@Kim-SARC I know examinations can be really difficult for a lot of people after assault, are ways on top of communicating your experience to the person doing the exam that survivors can make their exam experience a little easier?

[scared01]

sorry guys upon reading this even in this details its too much for me tonight

[Chessca_H]

Welcome, @FootyFan26!