Abstract
Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with a wide range of health outcomes and is more prevalent among men who have sex with men (MSM) compared to men who have sex with women exclusively and among transgender women (TW) compared to cisgender peers; however, there is a lack of consensus regarding an explanatory theoretical model. This analysis examined these models across health outcomes using baseline data from a longitudinal study of MSM and TW in Chicago (n = 1,035) collected from 2015 to 2019. Severity of CSA was measured for two age ranges (prior to 13 and 13–17). Logistic regression and negative binomial regressions were estimated. Teenage experiences of CSA were associated with alcohol problems, cannabis problems, suicide ideation/attempt, depression, condomless anal sex partners, rectal STI, and HIV. Pre-teenage CSA was associated with alcohol use and depressive symptoms. Significant interactions across age of experience of CSA were found for alcohol problems, cannabis problems, and condomless anal sex partners. Consistent with previous literature, this analysis found CSA to be a significant influence on various health outcomes. No single explanatory framework emerged; however, adolescent exposures may be more closely linked to health outcomes and risk behaviors than pre-teenage or cumulative exposures.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 763-774 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Journal of sex research |
| Volume | 58 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2021 |
Funding
This work was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse [U01DA036939]. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Psychology
- Gender Studies
- History and Philosophy of Science
- Sociology and Political Science
