Sexual Abuse During Childhood and Adolescence as Predictors of HIV-Related Sexual Risk During Adulthood Among Female Sexual Partners of Injection Drug Users

Abstract

During the past few decades, increasing attention has been focused on the long-lasting effects that sexual abuse causes for its victims/survivors. This study examines the relationships between experiencing specific types of sexual abuse during childhood and adolescence and involvement in HIV-related sexual risk behaviors during adulthood. The work, which is based on data collected between 1990 and 1993, involved a sample of 2,794 women from Boston, Juarez (Mexico), Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) who were the sexual partners of injection drug users. The data indicate that there is a strong link between sexual abuse victimization early in life and involvement later in life in sexual behaviors that place women at risk for contracting HIV. Certain types of sexual abuse (e.g., forced exposure of one's sexual parts, forced touching of one's sexual parts) were found to be more strongly related than were other forms of sexual abuse to subsequent involvement in HIV-related sexual risk behaviors. Likewise, certain types of sexual risk-taking behaviors (e.g., having sexual relations while high, trading sex for drugs and/or money) were found to be related more closely than were other types of sexual risk-taking behaviors to women's sexual abuse histories.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Allers, C. T. , & Benjack, K. J. (1991). Connections between childhood abuse and HIV infection. Journal of Counseling and Development, 70, 309-313.

Bagley, C. , & Ramsay, R. (1986). Disrupted childhood and vulnerability to sexual assault: Long-term sequelae with implications for counseling. Social Work and Human Sexuality, 4, 33-48.

Briere, J. N. (1992). Child abuse trauma: Theory and treatment of the lasting effects. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Briere, J. N. , & Runtz, M. (1986). Suicidal thoughts and behaviours in former sexual abuse victims. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 18, 413-423.

Briere, J. N. , & Runtz, M. (1987). Post sexual abuse trauma: Data and implications for clinical practice. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2, 367-379.

Brown, B. S. , & Beschner, G. M. (1993). Handbook on risk of AIDS: Injection drug users and sexual partners. Westport, CT: Greenwood.

Browne, A. , & Finkelhor, D. (1986). Impact of child sexual abuse: A review of the research. Psychological Bulletin, 99, 66-77.

Courtois, C. A. (1988). Healing the incest wound: Adult survivors in therapy. New York: Norton.

DeYoung, M. (1982). The sexual victimization of children. Jefferson, NY: McFarland.

10.

Finkelhor, D. , Hotaling, G. , Lewis, I. A. , & Smith, C. (1989). Sexual abuse and its relationship to later sexual satisfaction, marital status, religion, and attitudes. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 4, 279-299.

11.

Harrison, D. F. , Wambach, K. G. , Byers, J. B. , Imershein, A. W. , Levine, P. , Maddox, K. , Quadagno, D. M. , Fordyce, M. L. , & Jones, M. A. (1991). AIDS knowledge and risk behaviors among culturally diverse women. AIDS Prevention and Education, 3, 79-89.

12.

Herman, J. L. (1981). Father-daughter incest. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

13.

Horowitz, C. F. (1990). Homelessness is exaggerated. In L. Orr (Ed.), The homeless: Opposing viewpoints (pp. 21-27). San Diego: Greenhaven.

14.

James, J. , & Meyerding, J. (1977). Early sexual experiences and prostitution. American Journal of Psychiatry, 134, 1381-1385.

15.

Kalichman, S. C. , Kelly, J. A. , Hunter, T. L. , Murphy, D. A. , & Tyler, R. (1993). Culturally tailored HIV-AIDS risk-reduction messages targeted to African-American urban women: Impact on risk sensitization and risk reduction. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61, 291-295.

16.

Kearney-Cooke, A. (1988). Group treatment of sexual abuse among women with eating disorders. Women and Therapy, 7, 5-21.

17.

Langerin, R. , Handy, L. , Hook, H. , Day, D. , & Russon, A. (1985). Are incestuous fathers pedophilic and aggressive? In R. Langevin (Ed.), Erotic preference, gender, identity, and aggression. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

18.

National Institute on Drug Abuse . (1991). Community-based AIDS prevention: Studies of intravenous drug users and their sexual partners. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

19.

Paone, D. , & Chavkin, W. (1993). From the private family domain to the public health forum: Sexual abuse, women, and risk for HIV infection. SIECUS Report, 21(4), 13-15.

20.

Pollock, V. E. , Briere, J. , Schneider, L. , Knop, J. , Mednick, S. A. , & Goodwin, D. W. (1990). Childhood antecedents of antisocial behavior: Parental alcoholism and physical abusiveness. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 1290-1293.

21.

Pope, H. G. , & Hudson, J. (1992). Is childhood sexual abuse a risk factor for bulimia nervosa? American Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 455-463.

22.

Rohsenow, D. J. , Corbett, R. , & Devine, D. (1988). Molested as children: A hidden contribution to substance abuse? Journal of Substance Abuse, 5, 13-18.

23.

Russell, D.E.H. (1986). The secret trauma: Incest in the lives of girls and women. New York: Basic Books.

24.

Snyder, M. , & Hombs, M. E. (1990). Homelessness is serious. In L. Orr (Ed.), The homeless: Opposing viewpoints (pp. 17-20). San Diego: Greenhaven.

25.

Steiger, H. , & Zanko, M. (1990). Sexual traumata among eating disordered, psychiatric, and normal female groups: Comparison of prevalences and defense styles. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 5, 74-86.

26.

van der Kolk, B. A. , Perry, J. C. , & Herman, J. L. (1991). Childhood origins of self-destructive behavior. American Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 1665-1671.

27.

Walsh, B. , & Rosen, P. (1988). Self-mutilation: Theory, research, and treatment. New York: Guilford.

28.

Wermuth, L. , Ham, J. , & Robbins, R. L. (1992). Women don't wear condoms: AIDS risk among sexual partners of IV drug users. In J. Huber & B. E. Schneider (Eds.), The social context of AIDS (pp. 72-94). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

29.

White, R. W., Jr. (1992). Rude awakenings: What the homeless crisis tells us. San Francisco: ICS.

30.

Wight, D. (1992). Impediments to safer heterosexual sex: A review of research with young people. AIDS Care, 4, 11-23.