Military sexual trauma (MST) is the term that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) use to refer to sexual assault or ongoing sexual harassment that occurred while a veteran was in active military service. MST includes any sexual activity an individual was involved in against their will or when they could not say no.
People of all ages, genders, racial/ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, and branches of military service have experienced MST. Like other forms of trauma, MST can negatively affect an individual’s physical and psychological health, even many years after the incident. Continue reading here…