But a study has found that many of these problems are not recognised as being linked to their history of abuse.
The study, carried out on women in Sweden, found that many attend doctors later in life complaining of common physical symptoms such as joint pain, fatigue, headache and low back pain.
Researchers found that these complaints were 60% more likely in women who had beaten or sexually abused as children. They were twice as likely if the women had been violently or sexually abused as adults.
The researchers carried out a random survey of almost 400 women between the ages of 40 and 50 living in a rural community in Sweden.
They found that one in three had been either sexually or physically abused as a child. A further 15% were abused as adults.
The women lived in an area that was regarded as typical of the general population of Sweden.
Women who had occasionally or regularly been beaten by an adult or had experienced an adult making sexual advances to them as a child were considered to have been abused.
Those who had experienced sexual advances in the workplace, or had been assaulted, beaten up or sexually abused as an adult were considered to have been abused.
Women who had been abused as children were found to complain of many symptoms including joint pain or depression.
Women who had been abused as adults also experienced more symptoms than those who had not suffered.
Individuals who received strong social support after being advised as an adult appeared to fare better.
Dr Gunilla Krantz, from the Nordic School of Public Health in Sweden and one of the authors of the study, said the affects of abuse were still evident later in life.
"Exposure to violence or abuse, either during childhood or adulthood, is a serious trauma that continues to exert influence on a woman's health as common symptoms in her later life."
The study is published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Dr Carlos Alvarez, editor of the journal, said the paper showed that the consequences of abuse.
"For the very first time we know that abuse and violence in childhood have serious consequence later in life.
"There is a lot of information already saying that domestic violence is a very common phenomenon but this is an important paper."