We know that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will experience sexual assault within their lifetime, and that abuse leaves devastating scars. The most profound impact on a sexually abused survivor is that this violent act completely shatters one’s TRUST, making ordinary tasks, such as seeing a health care provider, very difficult.

Survivors, if willing to seek medical treatment, often walk into healthcare settings where medical staffs are unaware and unprepared to properly and professionally treat the patient’s physical needs and address potential underlying psychological issues specific to trauma survivors, leaving many fearful of seeking treatment. We have learned from a recent study that in the current healthcare environment survivors delay, or avoid altogether, routine and critical medical care.

In keeping with its mission, PAAR is undertaking a new initiative, THE TRUST PROJECT, to train medical professionals about sexual abuse trauma in an effort to provide survivor-patients with a safe and sensitive environment to receive medical care, and to strengthen the doctor/patient relationship. This “survivor centered” initiative will turn providers into “healthcare provider advocates” who can truly support survivor-patients…healing begins where isolation ends.