INTRODUCTION: A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the
association between childhood abuse, HIV-related sexual risks, and
gender relations among African-American women. METHODS: The sample 165
African-American women, 18-29 years of age, were recruited by street
outreach from a lower socioeconomic community in San Francisco, CA. A
face-to-face interview was administered to assess HIV/STD-sexual risk
practices, alcohol use, physical abuse, affective health, and
relationship commitment. Childhood sexual abuse was defined as
experiencing forced sex 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 were 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 likely 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 abusive 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 women's history of
child sexual abuse can assist in making appropriate medical and social
referrals and can lead to the development of more tailored HIV
prevention programs for African-American women.