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Prevalence of sexual abuse among patients with functional disorders of the lower gastrointestinal tract

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Abstract

To evaluate the links between gastrointestinal disorders and sexual abuse, we asked 344 patients consulting in a specialized tertiary care university hospital or a gastroenterologist in private practice, if they had been sexually abused. Forty per cent of patients suffering from lower functional digestive disorder gave a history of having been victims of sexual abuse in contrast to only 10% of patients with organic diseases (P<0.0003). The prevalence was similar in private practice and in the university hospital. Abused patients were more likely to complain of constipation (P<0.03) and diarrhoea (P<0.04). Anismus was more frequent in patients who had been sexually abused (P<0.02). The prevalence of abuse was four times greater in patients with lower than with upper functional motor disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (P<0.002). This study confirms the large prevalence of a past history of sexual abuse among patients consulting for gastrointestinal tract functional disorder, and this whatever the kind of recruitment may be. It shows the association to be much stronger in patients who have a lower rather than an upper gastrointestinal dysfunction, the major complaint of abused patients being constipation and diarrhoea.

Résumé

Afin d'évaluer les liens existant entre les troubles gastro-intestinaux et les abus sexuels, nous avons interrogé 344 patients consultant un hôpital universitaire spécialisé dans les soins tertiaires ou un gastroentérologue en pratique privée quant à l'éventualité d'abus sexuels. Quarante % des patients souffrant de troubles digestifs de la partie terminale de l'intestin mentionnent avoir été victimes d'abus sexuels en comparaison à seulement 10% des patient proteurs d'une lésion organique (P<0.0003). La prévalence était similaire en pratique privée qu'en hôpital universitaire. Les patients victimes d'abus sexuels se plaignent plus volontiers de constipation (P<0.003) et de diarrhées (P<0.04). L'anisme est noté plus fréquemment chez les patients qui ont été abusés sexuellement (P<0.002). La prévalence des abus sexuels est 4 fois plus importante chez les patients qui se plaignent de lésions de la partie distale de l'intestin que chez ceux qui se plaignent de troubles moteurs fonctionnels de la partie proximale de l'intestion (P<0.002). Cette étude confirme la prévalence élevée d'une anamnèse d'abus sexuels parmi les patients consultant pour des troubles fonctionnels moteurs de l'intestin, quel que soient les modalités du recrutement. Elle démontre que l'association est bien plussignificative chez les patients qui se plaignent de troubles fonctionnels de la partie distale que de la partie proximale de l'intestin; les plaintes majeures des patients abusés sexuellement sont la constipation et la diarrhée.

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Leroi, A.M., Bernier, C., Watier, A. et al. Prevalence of sexual abuse among patients with functional disorders of the lower gastrointestinal tract. Int J Colorect Dis 10, 200–206 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00346219

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