Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month (SAAPM)
![we believe you and we believe in you text with three individual veterans photos](/MENTALHEALTH/images/page-banners/SAAPM-2024-Splash-Page-Banner.jpg)
Military Sexual Trauma
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. During SAAPM and year-round, VA works to raise awareness of its services for survivors of military sexual trauma (MST), which refers to sexual assault or threatening sexual harassment that occurred during military service.
VA understands that healing after MST takes time, and that MST can affect Veterans and former service members in many different ways. That’s why VA offers free, MST-related services year-round that are tailored for each individual.
Below, you can learn more about MST, explore VA’s MST-related resources and show your support for MST survivors.
Learn More
Care for MST Survivors
MST can affect people of all ages, races, gender identities, and sexual orientations. VA understands that each survivor has their own path to healing. Learn more about MST-related care.
Show Your Support
You can help Veterans and former service members who experienced MST find their path to healing through VA’s MST-related resources and treatments. Explore the information below and spread the word in your community and on your social media channels:
- Social Media: Share SAAPM posts — including two vertical graphics for Facebook and Instagram Stories — with your social networks in April. Download the social media content.
- Newsletter Item and Blurbs: Use the newsletter item or the shorter informational blurbs in your communications to build awareness of SAAPM and of VA’s MST-related resources for survivors.
- FAQ: Use this resource when speaking with colleagues, event attendees or MST survivors. Answers address the definition of MST, relevant statistics and history, and resources for helping survivors heal from MST’s effects.
- E-Billboards: Download these e-billboards to display at local VA facilities.
- Beyond MST: This free, secure self-help app was created specifically to support the health and well-being of MST survivors. You don’t have to be in treatment to use this app, and any personal information entered is not shared with anyone, including VA.