Support men who experience sexual trauma

This letter responds to the article “Breaking the Silence” [Dec. 18 Xpress] regarding sexual violence experienced by men. I applaud the comments made by John Langlois, who courageously speaks out against this heinous crime that affects both women and men. This issue has been raised in the military and was the subject of a Dec. 14 report in The Baltimore Sun. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, at least 1 in 100 men who use the VA report that they have experienced military sexual trauma (MST), which also includes repeated, threatening acts of sexual harassment as defined by the VA.

I suspect that the published rates of MST are much higher since a large number of male (and female) veterans do not use VA services. Given the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s report that 1 in 6 men experience sexual abuse before age 18, I believe that many more military servicemen (and women) have been victimized. However, due to the military’s warrior mentality, men will often not report their experience due to legitimate fears of reprisal and stigmatization.

Since the experience of MST can result in depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, employment issues and attempted suicide, this is indeed a serious public safety and public health issue that should be discussed openly in order to create a safe environment where women and men feel comfortable seeking help essential to healing and well-being.

— Celia Szelwach
Asheville

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.