This study explored whether homosexually active men who were
sexually abused in childhood were more likely to engage in HIV-risk
sexual behavior than men who were not sexually abused. Participants
were 182 adult men of Puerto Rican ancestry living in New York City
who had had sex with other men or with men and women. Quantitative and
qualitative methods of exploration were used. Three groups were
determined: (a) Abuse group (AB), formed by men who before age 13, had
sex with a partner at least 4 years their senior and who felt hurt by
the experience and/or were unwilling to participate in it; (b)
Willing/not hurt group (W), consisting of men who had an older sexual
partner before age 13 but did not feel hurt by the experience and were
willing to participate; and (c) No-older-partner group (NOP). The
results showed that men in the AB group were significantly more likely
than men in the NOP group to engage in receptive anal sex and to do so
without protection. Men in the W group were ranked between the other
two groups in terms of their unsafe behavior. Age and education were
cofactors both for receptive anal sex and for unprotected receptive
anal sex. It is concluded that given the need to improve HIV
prevention among Puerto Rican men who have sex with men, sexual abuse
in childhood may constitute a marker to identify men at increased
risk.