Sexual misconduct affects women’s health

Sexual harassment and assault are psychologically traumatizing, but a new study has linked these attacks with long-term physical health consequences as well. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that women who had experienced harassment or assault were about twice as likely to have elevated blood pressure and insomnia. "When it comes to sexual harassment or sexual assault, our study shows that lived experiences may have a serious impact on women’s health, both mental and physical," Rebecca Thurston, a professor of psychiatry at the Pitt School of Medicine and the study’s senior author said in a press release. "This is an issue that needs to be tackled with urgency not just in terms of treatment but in terms of prevention." The new research was published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine recruited 304 nonsmoking women between the ages of 40 and 60 from the local community and...