Fifteen percent. According to a recent University of California survey of sex in America, that’s the proportion of U.S. women who have survived childhood sexual exploitation. For men, the figure is 3 percent.

Ninety-five percent. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, that’s the proportion of sexual assaults with women victims. Throughout the 1990s, approximately 300,000 women were raped in the U.S. each year. For men, the figure was around 20,000, approximately 5 percent of the total.

Eight percent. According to the National Violence Against Women Survey, that’s the proportion of American women who are criminally harassed by stalkers. For men, the figure is 2 percent.

For all but a small fraction of men, sex is fun and carries little baggage. However, for many women, memories of sexual trauma complicate—and possibly ruin—lovemaking. Fortunately women who have experienced sexual trauma can recover and enjoy erotic fulfillment.

In this article:

• After Sexual Trauma: Healing—and Great Sex—Are Possible
• How Sexual Trauma Affects Survivors
• The Road To Sexual Healing
• How Men Can Help

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