Living the coming of memories: an interpretive phenomenological study of surviving childhood sexual abuse.

An interpretive phenomenological study was conducted to document the pervasiveness of remembering in the lives of adult women survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Participants in the study shared stories that revealed how these memories emerge, intrusively at times, and permeate their day-to-day lives. A call is made for health care providers to be informed about issues related to childhood sexual abuse. A brief discussion of the current backlash to increasing awareness of sexual abuse is also included. Implications of the findings of this study for the delivery of health care are explored. The importance of listening to and believing survivors of childhood sexual abuse is emphasized.