Editorial: No tolerance for sexual violence

A horrifying, intolerable picture of pervasive sexual violence has emerged in a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nearly one in five women, and one in 71 men, have been raped at some time in their lives. One in 10 women reported their rapist was an intimate partner.

Roughly one in four women and one in seven men have been battered in their lifetime by an intimate partner. One in six women, and one in 19 men, have been stalked.

CDC officials called the extensive sexual violence a major public health problem. It warrants more aggressive law enforcement and a sharper focus on prevention, which the CDC said should include promoting healthy family dynamics and working to change attitudes that create a climate condoning sexual violence.

The 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey released Thursday was the first of its type. So it's not possible to track whether the problem is getting better or worse. What is clear, according to the CDC, is that sexual and domestic violence impose a heavy toll on the health of victims.

Survivors were more likely than others to report gastrointestinal disorders, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, asthma, diabetes, depression and suicide attempts.

The sexual violence and intimidation the study highlights cries out for a national focus on how to stop it.