The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona supports Denim Day wholeheartedly, especially given the prevalence of brain injuries that stem directly from sexual assault and violence.

National Denim Day!

Throwing on a pair of jeans may be what you do to stay comfortable and casual, but on Wednesday, April 24, your favorite denim can mean so much more.

This Wednesday is Denim Day, a day when millions of people don denim to support survivors of sexual violence, educate others about sexual violence, and raise funds to help heal and support sexual violence survivors.

Denim Day began as a response to an Italian Supreme Court ruling that declared a victim of sexual assault was at fault for wearing tight jeans. The following day, women in the Italian parliament donned their skinny jeans and showed up to work in solidarity with the victim. Today, we celebrate Denim Day as a part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona supports Denim Day wholeheartedly, especially given the prevalence of brain injuries that stem directly from sexual assault and violence.

In fact, victims of intimate partner abuse are a leading demographic for people most at risk for traumatic brain injury, concussions, and brain damage.

It’s especially important to note that it is not always due to blunt force trauma directly. A 2022  study published in the journal Brain Injury and Behavior showed that women who had experienced trauma, including sexual assault, suffered brain damage. Among the 145 women assessed for various types of trauma, sexual assault was the most common trauma assessed.

Brain scans showed the women in the study had white matter hyperintensities on their brains.  That means blood flow to their brains in those areas is disrupted. This damage, which likely occurs at the time of the assault, can have detrimental health impacts that include increasing the risk of dementia.

Importantly, it doesn’t matter when the sexual violence happens. Whether sexual abuse or assault occurred in a person’s early teens or later in life, as is most common according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the literal scars on the brain remain. The lingering brain damage can lead to insomnia, depression, anxiety, cognitive difficulties and a host of other negative health outcomes.

None of this comes as a surprise to us at BIAAZ.

We’ve long witnessed how sexual abuse and violence harm victims’ minds as well as hearts. It’s why we have facilitated special programs for sexual abuse and domestic violence victims who also have brain trauma. It’s also why so much of BIAAZ programming is built on a foundation of trauma-informed practices.

Sexual assault and brain injury are, unfortunately, inextricably linked. You can bet we’ll be wearing denim and declaring our allyship loudly. We hope you’ll join us.

ABOUT BRAIN INJURY ALLIANCE OF ARIZONA

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona (BIAAZ) is the only statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of adults and children with all types of brain injuries through prevention, advocacy, awareness and education. BIAAZ also houses the Arizona Brain Health Resource Center, a collection of educational information and neuro-specific resources for brain injury survivors, caregivers, family members and professionals.

What began in 1983 as a grassroots effort has grown into a strong statewide presence, providing valuable life-long resources and community support for individuals with all types of brain trauma at no charge.

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona:

• Works with Congressional Brain Injury Task Force
• Houses Arizona Brain Health Resource Center
• Hosts virtual and in-person support groups for survivors and families
• Has Statewide Opioid Use Disorder & Cognitive Impairment Response team with peer support, training, and family wraparound services
• Facilitates Brain Health Advisory Council
• Manages statewide Help Line: 888-500-9165