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History of Sexual Trauma and Recent HIV-Risk Behaviors of Community-Recruited Substance Using Women

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Abstract

This study examines whether substance using women exposed to a lifetime sexual trauma (n = 457) are distinguishable from substance using women exposed to non-sexual trauma (n = 275) in terms of demographics, psychopathology and high-risk sexual behaviors. Baseline data were collected from out-of-treatment substance using women enrolled in an HIV prevention study. Logistic regression analyses revealed that when demographics, psychopathology and lifetime indicators of sexual risk were assessed simultaneously, poor health, depression, antisocial personality disorder and lifetime sex-trading were associated with sexual trauma exposure. When these significant factors were controlled, the experience of sexual trauma predicted recent (past 4 month) high risk sexual behaviors such as higher than average sexual partners. Treatment efforts with women who have experienced a sexual trauma may be enhanced by the inclusion of assessments of physical and mental health needs as well as sexual risk awareness training.

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Acknowledgments

The work was supported by grants from the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA 11622) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA 12111).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, University of Missouri—St. Louis, 121 Bellerive Hall, One University Dr, St. Louis, MO, 63121, USA

    Sharon D. Johnson

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 40 N. Kingshighway, Suite 4, St. Louis, Missouri, 63108, USA

    Linda B. Cottler, Arbi Ben Abdallah & Catina Callahan O’Leary

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  1. Sharon D. Johnson
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  2. Linda B. Cottler
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  3. Arbi Ben Abdallah
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  4. Catina Callahan O’Leary
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Correspondence to Sharon D. Johnson.

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Johnson, S.D., Cottler, L.B., Ben Abdallah, A. et al. History of Sexual Trauma and Recent HIV-Risk Behaviors of Community-Recruited Substance Using Women. AIDS Behav 15, 172–178 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-010-9752-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-010-9752-6

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