Association between a history of childhood sexual abuse and subsequent, adolescent psychoactive substance use disorder in a sample of HIV seropositive men.

PURPOSE: Examine whether an association exists between having a sexual abuse history and having a psychoactive substance use disorder (PSUD) history in a population of HIV seropositive men.

METHODS

Survey study of 95 HIV seropositive men. Sociodemographic and sexual abuse histories obtained before administration of the Standardized Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID-NP-HIV)-used to identify PSUD.

RESULTS

Nineteen (20%) subjects had sexual abuse histories. Sexual abuse occurred early (mean age: 8.1 years). Ten (53%) subjects reported oral (n = 4) and/or anal (n = 9) penetration by perpetrator. Comparing men with histories of sexual abuse to men without, the odds ratio (OR) for subsequent injection drug use was 5.4 (1.5, 19.6), and for subsequent early (before age 20) injection drug use was 21.6 (3.4, 224.5). Adjusted ORs were 2.4 (0.55, 10.6) and 12.2 (1.7, 90.3), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In this sample of HIV seropositive men, an association between having been sexually abused and subsequently initiating injection drug use during adolescence exists. Future studies that more rigorously evaluate the possible causal nature of this association are indicated.