(188) Clinically Significant New or Worsening Pain is Common Six Weeks after Sexual Assault: Results of a Large-Scale Cohort Study

Many adult women sexual assault (SA) survivors report persistent pain triggered by the assault, yet to date no large-scale longitudinal studies of adult women SA survivors have been performed. In this analysis, we evaluated the severity and distribution pain symptoms during the first six weeks after SA among women participating in an ongoing, large-scale, multisite study that enrolls women SA survivors in the immediate aftermath of assault and evaluates health outcomes over time. Women ≥ 18 years of age (n= 549) who presented to one of 14 sexual assault treatment centers in the immediate aftermath of assault were enrolled. In the immediate aftermath of assault, moderate or severe pain (severity score ≥ 4 on a 0-10 NRS) was reported by 394/549 (72%) of women. Clinically significant new or worsening pain (pain increase of ≥ 2 on a 0-10 NRS in comparison to reported pain during month prior to assault (assessed at one-week follow-up) was present in 76% of women SA survivors one week after the assault and 54% of women SA survivors six weeks after the assault. Most women SA survivors reported pain in many body regions, with a mean of 8 (SD = 6) body regions with pain at the time of initial exam, 8 (SD = 7) body regions with pain at one-week follow-up, and 5 (SD = 6) at 6 week follow-up. The most common body regions affected by persistent pain were the back (49%), neck (43%), and head (41%). These data indicate that clinically significant new or worsening pain, with pain in a number of body regions, is present in most women sexual assault survivors in the weeks after assault. Research is needed to determine the mechanisms responsible for this pain, and to identify preventive/treatment interventions.