The Physical Aftermath: Years After

In my experience, and in the 10-plus years as a survivor, I've noticed a glaring similarity with people. Many think the worst part is being raped, being assaulted, being coerced, and while it is, and it stays with you forever, not many people want to talk about the aftermath. 
Many know that we suffer from PTSD, depression, and self-harm, but the thing that most people don't want to acknowledge is that it more or less changes everything. It changes our minds, changes our bodies, changes how we react to things. While survivor Sparks will touch on every part of it, there is one subject that needs to be talked about more. Many need to realize the physical aftermath of being raped, and how it stays with you years after the fact.
When you deep dive into what happens to survivors after the fact, you realize just how life-changing being raped is. For instance, many experts have discovered that there is a link between being a rape survivor and chronic pain, chronic migraines, cardiovascular disease, and so much more. 
Many gaslight themselves into thinking that there's no way this could happen, but the sad fact is that trauma manifests into so many different things. But with Survivor Sparks, we want to break down the most common physical ailments that happen after being raped, which you can see below, and through our informational guide. But below see some of the physical ailments that survivors endure after the traumatic act:

Migraines

Migraines are a neurological disease characterized by severe throbbing head pain, but other symptoms can include nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and more. Now, around 12-20% of the US population suffers from migraines, and the American Migraine Foundation says it’s in the top 10 most debilitating diseases in the world. But how do survivors come into play? Well, a 2019 study from the Neurology® Volume 92 • Number 15 issue revealed that there was a high prevalence of sexual abuse in patients with migraines. In fact, they said those with "PTSD [were] associated with more disabling migraines," and since The Washington University in St. Louis' Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention Center found that 1/3 of survivors have PTSD, it means so many are at risk.

Chronic Pain

Along with migraines, a 2019 study called "Emotional Modulation of Pain and Spinal Nociception in Sexual Assault Survivors" showed that survivors have an increased risk of a wide range of chronic pain. chronic back pain, chronic abdominal pain, and fibromyalgia, to name a few. (In fact, another previous study showed that while abuse may not cause fibromyalgia, it is “correlated with the number and severity of associated symptoms.”)

Basically, the disturbance of emotional modulation after trauma can affect pain and how our body responds to trauma.

Cardiovascular Issues

Cardiovascular disease refers to a number of disorders and diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels. Cardiovascular disease, or CVD, can mean heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. But how does it affect survivors? Well, a 2021 study revealed that sexual violence was related to a higher risk of getting adult CVD. Now, why is this the case? Schoalrs believe this happens because of the physiological stress trauma induces. Truma can link to high stress hormones like cortisol, which can lead to things like high blood pressure and so on.

Autoimmune Disorders

A previous, large-scale study found that survivors of childhood sexual abuse were more likely to be hospitalized with autoimmune disorders in adulthood, like lupus and multiple sclerosis, among others. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital researchers discovered that women exposed to trauma have a higher risk of having lupus. Specifically, women with PTSD afterward were almost triple the risk, while survivors without PTSD are double the risk.

Premature Menopause

A study from the University of Otago revealed a link to between being a survivor of sexual abuse and experiencing premature menopause, even up to 11 years ahead of the usual age. This is still an under-researched subject, but experts are working to find more of a link!