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Abstract
Relationships Between Child Abuse Experiences and HIV Risk Behaviors in Adulthood Among Female Injection Drug Users
Plotzker R.1, Metzger D.1
Introduction: Women injection drug users (IDUs) routinely face a constellation of problems, ranging from social stigmas to HIV/AIDS. One such problem is a high prevalence of physical and sexual child abuse experiences.
Methods: This study surveyed 87 female IDUs at a Philadelphia needle exchange program. Participants were asked about needle sharing and sex work behaviors that would put them at risk for HIV, as well as the frequency of specified child abuse events. Symptoms of depression (as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (assessed using PSS-SR Battery) were also surveyed, in addition to participants’ socio-demographic information.
Results: This study found a high prevalence of child abuse histories among participants. Moreover, a participant’s recent HIV risk behaviors were strongly associated to her history of childhood abuse experiences. Logistic regression revealed that physical and sexual abuse were each significant predictors of different types of HIV risk behaviors. Physical childhood abuse was the only variable that showed a significant relationship with needle sharing (p = 0.014), while sexual childhood abuse was the only variable significantly linked to sex work (p < 0.005).
Conclusions: The findings suggest that HIV prevention and harm reduction strategies should involve abuse counseling, in addition to targeting female survivors of abuse for preventative HIV education.
The 3rd IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment
Abstract no.
WePe10.4P03
Suggested Citation
"PlotzkerR., et al.
Relationships Between Child Abuse Experiences and HIV Risk Behaviors in Adulthood Among Female Injection Drug Users.
Poster Exhibition:
The 3rd IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment:
Abstract no.
WePe10.4P03"
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