HJNO Jul/Aug 2024

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  JUL / AUG 2024 11 of sexual violence reported by those who experienced it in the past year was feel- ings of anxiety or depression (42%) (see Fig. 4). One in 10 affected women contem- plated suicide. • Additional common responses were changing a route/routine (18%), ended a relationship (16%), stopped an activ- ity or participation in a group (12%), and missing work or school (10%). spouse/partner or otherwise known to the women (detailed results found in the LaVex 2023 report). 3 Consequences of Sexual Violence Finally, for those who reported sexual vio- lence in the past year, we asked them what, if any, issues arose from the incident. We provided options to which they could say yes or no. The most common consequence • More than 2 in 5 women (42%) reported no consequences of the abuse, sug- gesting that this type of experience may simply be expected or accepted. This is more likely in situations of harassment. • The minority of those who experienced sexual violence filed an official com- plaint or report (17%). • Only 7% sought medical help; almost half (47%) told no one. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS One of the key findings from the LaVEX survey is that sexual violence is pervasive across a woman’s life course, often starting in adolescence, and these experiences can adversely affect mental health as well as socioeconomic security. Unfortunately, the data also show that close to half do not dis- close their experience to anyone, and only a fraction seek medical help or file an official complaint. There is failure on both ends, to prevent sexual violence and harassment, as well as to meet the needs of those women experiencing sexual violence. Most physical, aggressive, and coerced forms of sexual violence occur from inti- mate partners in the home, a private sphere, where harassment is more likely to occur in public spaces; but regardless of form and location of sexual violence, we most often see its occurrence at the intersec- tions of poverty, social discrimination, and other forms of marginalization. 3 Prevention and intervention to prevent sexual violence should be prioritized. Given the low report- ing rate to the police and family, commu- nity-based outreach programs such as fam- ily counseling, conflict-resolution training, and adolescent-focused gender equity interventions may prove to be fruitful to reduce the prevalence of sexual violence in Louisiana. Healthcare providers are in a unique position to support those experiencing sexual violence, despite the low rates of health-seeking post experiences of sexual violence. They serve as points of contact