PTSD may also result from an unwanted sexual event, which includes any form of forced sexual contact or contact that took place without the victim’s knowledge or consent. Military sexual trauma (MST) is not only a result of the event itself, but the fear of retaliation if the event is reported.
Statistics from the VA show that in 2012, 23.6% of female veterans seen for health care reported a history of MST. Men also report suffering sexual assault while in the military.
Disability compensation is available to both male and female veterans who have suffered MST or who developed PTSD as a result of MST. In these cases, the veteran must have some proof that the sexual event occurred to receive disability compensation for it. However, in recent years, the VA has created less strict evidentiary requirements and will now accept a variety of what they call “markers”, which can include various signals, occurrences, or circumstances that would indicate a traumatic event took place.
Vocational Expert in Veterans Disability & TDIU