Impacts of Sexual Assault
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Victims/survivors can experience short and long-term effects from sexual assault. Every victim/survivor is different and the reactions of each individual are unique to that person. A victim/survivor may have none or many of these effects – and these could show up immediately following the violence or many years later. Short and long-term effects could include physical, emotional, and sexual effects including but not limited to:
- difficulty sleeping,
- loss of appetite,
- sleep disturbances,
- high anxiety,
- depression,
- isolation,
- little desire for sex,
- problems with intimacy,
- flashbacks, and
- potential long-term health consequences.
