NCJ Number
161384
Journal
Journal of Correctional Health Care Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (Fall 1995) Pages: 137-149
Date Published
1995
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Since prior sexual abuse among women has been associated with behaviors such as sex work (the exchange for sex for drugs or money) and drug use that may increase their HIV risk, this study evaluated the relationship between prior sexual abuse and three risks associated with HIV infection (sex work, injection drug use, and noncondom use) in a sample of 125 incarcerated women in Massachusetts.
Abstract
Each woman was asked if she had ever been forced to have unwanted sex, as a child or as an adult. Women who responded affirmatively to this question were assigned to the survivors of sexual abuse group. Each woman was also asked if she engaged in injection drug use, if she participated in sex work, and if she used a condom during her most recent heterosexual encounter. The prevalence of HIV infection for each month of the study was estimated by adding the number of new HIV seropositives to the number of known HIV seropositives and dividing by the total number of sentenced inmates. HIV infection occurred in 15.6 percent of the women, and 58 percent reported past sexual abuse. When compared with a group of incarcerated women who had no prior history of sexual abuse, survivors of sexual abuse were twice as likely to report a history of sex work, 1.2 times more prone to intravenous drug use, and 1.8 times more likely to have an abnormal Pap smear. In addition, survivors of sexual abuse were 2.5 times more likely than women without a history of abuse to report engaging in all three HIV risk behaviors. Study findings demonstrate the link between sexual abuse and HIV risk taking and support the inclusion of sexual abuse survivor counseling in HIV prevention programs targeting incarcerated women. 20 references and 3 tables