Forced sex & leaving intimate relationships: results of the Chicago women's health risk study

This article presents the findings of a US study which examined women’s experiences of sexual assault when they to leave an intimate relationship. The study drew on data from the Chicago Women’s Health Risk Study (CWHRS) which used data from 87 intimate partner homicides compared with data from a sample of women who either had or had not experienced partner abuse in the past year. The authors first present a theoretical framework, followed by a detailed outline of the methodology, survey tools and definition of concepts. The findings specifically address forced sex in relation to the timing of leaving an abusive relationship and risk factors for forced sex after leaving the relationship.