Gm. Wingood et Rj. Diclemente, CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE, HIV SEXUAL RISK, AND GENDER RELATIONS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN, American journal of preventive medicine, 13(5), 1997, pp. 380-384
Introduction: A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the ass
ociation between childhood abuse, HIV-related sexual risks, and gender
relations among African-American women. Methods: The sample 165 Afric
an-American women, 18-29 years of age, were recruited by street outrea
ch from a lower socioeconomic community in San Francisco, CA. A face-t
o-face interview was administered to assess HIV/STD-sexual risk practi
ces, alcohol use, physical abuse, affective health, and relationship c
ommitment. Childhood sexual abuse was defined as experiencing forced s
ex prior to age 16. Results: The prevalence of childhood sexual abuse
in this sample was 13.3%. Compared to women who were not abused during
childhood, women who reported a history of childhood sexual abuse wer
e 1.5 times more likely to have had an abortion, 1.4 times more likely
to report having an STD, 2.4 times as likely to report having greater
than two lifetime STDs, 3.8 times as likely to have a history of anal
sex, 2.6 times as likely to worry about acquiring HIV, 3.9 times more
likely to believe their partner did not care for them, twice as likel
y to doubt the longevity of their relationship, 5.1 times as likely to
have a partner who had been physically abusive within the previous 3
months, 2.6 times as likely to have a partner who was physically abusi
ve when asked to use condoms, and 1.5 times as likely to consume three
or more glasses of alcohol at one time. Conclusions: Awareness of a w
oman's history of child sexual abuse can assist in making appropriate
medical and social referrals and can lead to the development of more t
ailored HIV prevention programs for African-American women.