Study: Nearly 7% of women say force played role in first sexual encounter
JAMA Internal Medicine surveyed thousands of women and about seven percent of U.S. women said they experienced force during their first sexual encounter.
More than 13,000 women between the ages of 18 to 33 were surveyed.
Since September 26, 2018, the Yuma Police Department took more than 268 sex crime reports, 47 being sexual assaults and 20 sex abuse reports.
The result of JAMA Internal Medicine’s study found the average age of the encounters was between 15 and 16 years old.
Estrella Fitch, executive director of The Healing Journey, said she agrees with the study and added many girls at first are open to sex, but once the kissing and touching begins they change their mind.
” It’s exactly what they tell us. They feel forced and if they didn’t do it they felt they would be made fun of that they weren’t that girl that other guys want. They felt coerced. Some times they were given some type of pill to relax them, ” said Fitch.
She added a lot of times we don’t talk about men who are also sexually abused.
She explained men feel forced because they don’t want to be made fun of by their friends for not wanting to have sex.
The Healing Journey provides counseling services for those who may find themselves in this type of situation. You can contact the organization at (928) 920-6220.
