Resolution: S-21-29: SUPPORT OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE DEEMED AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS, PUBLIC ENDORSEMENT OF LEGISLATION AGAINST SEXUAL VIOLENCE, AND INCORPORATION OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE-RELATED CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION

[Valerie Lile]

WHEREAS, sexual violence is defined as any act of a sexual nature that a person did not consent to, including sexual harassment and sexual assault^1,2; and

WHEREAS, one in every three women and one in every four men have experienced sexual violence during their life¹; and

WHEREAS, consequences of sexual violence include lasting effects around mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing such as acute or chronic physical injury, PTSD, alcohol abuse, and revictimization³; and

WHEREAS, women who face sexual violence in the workplace have several negative outcomes, including but not limited to: decrease in job satisfaction, commitment to the organization, and declines in job performance⁴; and

WHEREAS, men who face sexual violence have been shown to have adverse mental health outcomes, including posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and multiple physical symptoms⁵; and

WHEREAS, victims of sexual violence experience gaps in healthcare which can start to be addressed by formally educating healthcare providers on the needs of this specific patient population⁶; and

WHEREAS, nearly three-quarters of sexual crimes remain unreported, suggesting that victims often do not receive appropriate medical or legal support⁷; and

WHEREAS, barriers to reporting include, but are not limited to, embarrassment, shame, confidentiality, and fear of not being believed⁸; and

WHEREAS, formally reporting sexual violence is less common for women due to the perception that they may experience retaliation or personal and professional ramifications⁹; and

WHEREAS, recent movements positively impacted sexual violence awareness which led to an increase in the number of people who reported these crimes¹⁰; and

WHEREAS, recent movements began to alter societal norms surrounding reporting sexual violence and health providers need to recognize the positive impact that they can make when they advocate for their patients¹¹; and

WHEREAS, from 2017 to 2018 the self-reported incidence of rape or sexual assault more than doubled from 1.4 to 2.7 victimizations per 1,000 persons ages 12 or older¹²; and

WHEREAS, repeated exposure over time to information about sexual violence and access to services to aid those victimized and those supporting those victimized has proven most effective at prevention of sexual violence¹³; and

WHEREAS, the World Health Organization defines sexual violence as a serious public health and human rights problem and recommends strengthening healthcare sector responses as an integral part of combating this issue¹⁴; and

WHEREAS, from a social determinants of health perspective, addressing sexual violence as a matter of public health is key to preventing the formation of chronic disease and improving the health status of victims¹⁵; and

WHEREAS, since January 1st, 2019 amongst the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)-sponsored conferences, only one CME credit regarding sexual violence was offered¹⁶; and

WHEREAS, official designation as a public health crisis allows for crucial funding and the ability to take appropriate actions including investigating causes, treatments, and prevention¹⁷; be it therefore

RESOLVED, that the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) deems sexual violence a public health crisis; and be it further

RESOLVED, that SOMA ask for the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) to recognize sexual violence as a public health crisis; and be it further 

RESOLVED, that SOMA ask for the AOA to publicly endorse legislation that is in alignment with organizations who take a stance against all forms of sexual violence; and be it further

RESOLVED, that SOMA encourages the AOA to incorporate continuing medical education opportunities on sexual violence awareness in healthcare settings.

 

Relevant Existing Policies:

 

H634-A/18 RECOGNIZING SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS’ RIGHTS

• The American Osteopathic Association will advocate for the legal protection of sexual assault survivors’ rights as defined by the Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act of 2016. 2018

 

H316-A/17 SEXUAL HARASSMENT

• The American Osteopathic Association urges the enactment of appropriate legislation to eliminate all sexual harassment. 1992; reaffirmed 1997, revised 2002; 2007; reaffirmed as amended 2012; reaffirmed 2017

 

Resolution: S-18-18 RESOLVED,

• that the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) work with the American 27 Osteopathic Association (AOA) to advocate for the legal protection of sexual assault survivors’ rights as defined by the Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act of 2016 which include but are not limited to, the right to: (1) Receive a medical forensic examination free of charge, which includes but is not be limited to HIV/STD testing and treatment, pregnancy testing and treatment, access to emergency contraception, treatment of injuries, and collection of forensic evidence; (2) Preservation of a sexual assault evidence collection kit for at least the maximum applicable statute of limitation; (3) Notification of any intended disposal of a sexual assault evidence kit with the opportunity to be granted further preservation; (4) Be informed of these rights and the policies governing the sexual assault evidence kit.
• Does not address reporting standards and awareness

References:

1. Preventing Sexual Violence |Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDC. (2020, January 17). Retrieved January 12, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/fastfact.html
2. Sexual Harassment. (2021, January). Retrieved January 21, 2021, from https://www.rainn.org/articles/sexual-harassment
3. Ullman SE. (2016, February) Sexual Revictimization, PTSD, and Problem Drinking in Sexual Assault Survivors. Addictive Behavior. Retrieved January 26th, 2021 from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.09.010
4. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Retrieved January 26th, 2021 from https://doi.org/10.17226/24994.
5. Millegan, J., Wang, L., LeardMann, C., Miletich, D., & Street, A. (2016, February 24). Sexual Trauma and Adverse Health and Occupational Outcomes Among Men Serving in the U.S. Military. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jts.22081
6. Scannell, M., Lewis-O’Connor, A., & Barash, A. (2015). Sexual Assault Simulation Course for Healthcare Providers: Enhancing Sexual Assault Education Using Simulation. Journal of forensic nursing, 11(4), 188–197. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://doi-org.proxy.pnwu.org/10.1097/JFN.0000000000000089
7. The Criminal Justice System: Statistics. (2021, January). Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://www.rainn.org/statistics/criminal-justice-system
8. Sable MR, Danis F, Mauzy DL, Gallagher SK. Barriers to reporting sexual assault for women and men: perspectives of college students. J Am Coll Health. 2006;55(3):157-162. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://doi.org/10.3200/JACH.55.3.157-162
9. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2018). Job and Health Outcomes of Sexual Harassment and How Women Respond to Sexual Harassment. In Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington DC: National Academic Press.  Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://doi.org/10.17226/24994
10. Levy, R., & Mattsson, M. (2019). The Effects of Social Movements: Evidence from #MeToo. SSRN Electronic Journal, 1–67. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3496903
11. Lee B. H. (2018). #Me Too Movement; It Is Time That We All Act and Participate in Transformation. Psychiatry investigation, 15(5), 433. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://doi-org.proxy.pnwu.org/10.30773/pi.2018.04.30
12. Morgan, R., & Oudekerk, B. (2019). Criminal victimization, 2018 (NCJ 253043). U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv18.pdf
13. McMahon, S., & Stepleton, K. (2018). Undergraduate Exposure to Messages About Campus Sexual Assault: Awareness of Campus Resources. Journal of College Student Development 59(1), 110-115. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://doi:10.1353/csd.2018.0008.
14. Sexual violence. (2015, September 21). Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/violence/sexual_violence/en/
15. O’Neil, A., Sojo, V., Fileborn, B., Scoville, A., & Milner, A. (2018, June 30). The #MeToo Movement: An Opportunity in Public Health? Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30991-7
16. American Osteopathic Association Events. (2019). Retrieved January 26th, 2021 from https://osteopathic.org/about/aoa-events/
17. Public Health Emergency Declaration. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/legal/Pages/phedeclaration.aspx

 

Submitted by:

Mckenzie Keeling-Garcia, MA, OMS III – Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences COM
Monica Ketchum, MA, OMS II – Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences COM
Krista Luntsford, MA, OMS III – Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences COM
Tsaina Mahlen, OMS III – Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences COM
Jenna Seeley, MA, OMS III – Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences COM
Victoria Sefcsik, MS, OMS II – Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences COM
Delaney Tognolini, MA, OMS III – Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences COM

 

Action Taken:

Date:

Effective Time Period: Ongoing

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