People who have experienced sexual assault may face a higher risk of unexplained health problems

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-11-13 03:00

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People who have experienced sexual assault may be at a higher risk of developing a functional somatic disorder - chronic physical health problems without a clear cause - according to international researchers. Using data from a Danish chronic health disorder study, the researchers looked at the rate of functional somatic disorders among 4229 adults. While the overall rate of some of the disorders they looked at was low, the researchers say participants who reported having experienced sexual assault had a higher likelihood of developing a range of physical symptoms including musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, cardiopulmonary, and fatigue-related symptoms.