4/15/2024 0 Comments Sex trauma signs![]() It is important to remember that MST is never your fault. Some people who have experienced military sexual assault or harassment may blame themselves or feel ashamed. This means that there are significant numbers of both men and women who have experienced MST. ![]() However, data from VA’s universal screening program shows that about 1 in 3 women and 1 in 50 men respond “yes” when asked by a VA health care provider if they experienced MST. People don’t often talk about sexual assault or sexual harassment, and survivors may think they’re the only ones to have experienced it. If you experienced MST, you are not alone. Perpetrators can be men or women, military personnel or civilians, superiors or subordinates in the chain of command, strangers, friends, or intimate partners. It’s important to know that MST can occur on or off base, during war or peacetime, and while a Service member is on or off duty. And I have friends who also are Veterans and went through worse than I did.” “I remember the faces, the words, the smells, the negative, the unwarranted, unsolicited touches. If these experiences occurred while you were in the military, they are considered to be MST. Other MST experiences include unwanted sexual touching or grabbing, unwanted sexual advances that you found threatening, or unwanted comments about your body or your sexual activities that you found threatening. Military sexual trauma also includes sexual activity that happened when you were not able to consent to it, such as if you were asleep or intoxicated. ![]() Or it may have been suggested that you would get faster promotions or better treatment in exchange for sex. For example, you may have been threatened with negative consequences for refusing to cooperate. In other cases, no physical force may have been used, but you were coerced or pressured into sexual activities. You may have been physically forced into sexual activities. MST includes any sexual activity in which you were involved against your will. Veterans of all types of backgrounds have experienced MST, including those of all gender identities, racial and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, ages, and branches and eras of service. Military sexual trauma (MST) is the term VA uses to refer to sexual assault or sexual harassment experienced during military service.
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