Adult psychosexual dysfunction as a sequela of child sexual abuse

Abstract

Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) and adult psychosexual dysfunction are both very broad areas that share difficulties of definition and a recent evolution. This review aims to discuss the evidence in the literature supporting a relationship between these two areas. A paucity of robust evidence exists in both areas and work that has been done is difficult to compare, largely because of widely differing definitions and rating tools. An interesting gender split is seen: most work on adult psychosexual dysfunction is about males and most work on CSA is about females. Certainly both concepts are born and developed in a matrix of disparate factors that conspire to create an environment that both precipitate and perpetuate them. More research is needed to test the hypothesis that CSA does indeed predispose to later adult psychosexual dysfunction.

Keywords:

• epidemiology
• couples therapy
• sexual trauma