All’s quiet on the Buehler blog lately because I have been writing an article on childhood sexual abuse and its effects on female sexual function for a professional journal. I read a several dozen articles on the topic before finding the ones that were most helpful, and used them to learn more so that I could pass it along to readers.

While I knew that some women who survive childhood sexual abuse (CSA) became hypersexual, I only partially understood why. That is, it can be a way for a woman to try to feel a sense of control and even mastery about her own sexuality. But more recent research points to certain elevated hormone levels that might lead to early puberty, which in turn can lead to increased sexual behavior.

I also knew that some women survivors do not seem to have much desire or to like sex all that much. It makes sense that they would avoid anything that would trigger painful memories and emotions. However, current research suggests that some women may have experienced a decrease in the hormone cortisol, which would affect sexual interest.

Whether you believe these preliminary biological findings or not, it is noteworthy that no one seems to know what kind of abuse leads to what kind of sexual problems. While this may not seem critical, it could be important in terms of early interventions with female children, or in explaining abuse to an adult female survivor.

I am going to spend this week blogging about this topic, and later in the year I will revisit it with a focus on male survivors.

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