Sexual Harassment And Assault Have Lifelong Health Consequences For Women [huffingtonpost.com]

The Brett Kavanaugh vote is barreling forward, but regardless of its outcome, Christine Blasey Ford and survivors like her will be left with the legacy of what they experienced. Ford testified that Kavanaugh assaulted her, which she said contributed to lifelong anxiety, phobia and PTSD-like symptoms. Many survivors of sexual violence report lasting depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

But new research published Wednesday in JAMA Internal Medicine draws a clear link not only between sexual trauma and lasting psychological issues, but also physical effects that contribute to disease and even death.

What’s more, sexual harassment — which previous estimates say anywhere between 25 and 85 percent of women experience in their lifetimes — also contributes to these poor health outcomes.