<p> Sexual health is considered an important part of adult life. While there are many factors that could influence sexual health, one that is particularly relevant is a history of sexual assault. Sexual assault can have a bigger impact than just the development of physical sexual dysfunction, as many aspects of a person’s sexual health can be affected, including engagement of sexual risk-taking behaviors. Sexual assault can occur at all stages of development and, depending on the stage of development, can affect future sexual health. It is important to note that not all victims of sexual trauma see a decline in their sexual health. Trauma literature points to a quality referred to as resiliency as a buffer between their past experiences and present functioning. A theory of adjustment not well looked at in relation to sexual assault is psychological flexibility. Participants were undergraduate college females at a southern university recruited in introductory classes. All students received a link to an online survey that included 7 questionnaires. Multivariate analyses were conducted to investigate the relationships amongst all study variables. One way ANOVAs were conducted to compare the sexual health and psychological adjustment levels of participants with and without a victimization history. Multiple regression analyses were used to investigate moderation effects of psychological adjustment on sexual health for victims and non-victims. Results indicated no significant differences between victim and 81 non-victim sexual health. Psychological inflexibility and risky sexual behaviors did differ dependent on victimization status. Neither psychological inflexibility nor resiliency was considered a predictor of sexual health, and neither moderated the relationship between sexual health and sexual victimization. The current study added support to some claims already seen within sexual assault and psychological flexibility literature. Limitations and future directions are discussed.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:10002426 |
| Date | 04 February 2016 |
| Creators | Eastin, Shiloh M. |
| Publisher | University of Louisiana at Lafayette |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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