Prevalence of Prior Sexual Abuse and HIV Risk-taking Behaviors in Incarcerated Women in Massachusetts

Abstract

Prior sexual abuse among women has been associated with behaviors such as sex work and drug use that may increase their risk for acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In a population of 125 incarcerated women, we evaluated the relationship between prior sexual abuse and three risks associated with HIV infection: sex work, injection drug use (IDU), and non-condom use. HIV infection occurred in 15.6 percent of the women incarcerated at the prison, and 58 percent of the women reported past sexual abuse. When compared with a group of incarcerated women who had no prior history of sexual abuse, survivors of sexual abuse were 2.0 times more likely to report a history of sex work, 1.2 times more prone to IDU, and 1.8 times more likely to have an abnormal Pap smear. In addition, survivors of sexual abuse were 2.5 times more likely than women without a history of abuse to report engaging in all three HIV risk behaviors. This study demonstrates the link between sexual abuse and HIV risk-taking, and supports the inclusion of sexual abuse survivor counseling in HIV prevention programs targeting incarcerated women.