Childhood sexual abuse and the sociocultural context of sexual risk among adult Latino gay and bisexual men.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to examine the relationships among childhood sexual abuse, social discrimination, psychological distress, and HIV-risk among Latino gay and bisexual men in the United States. METHODS: Data were from a probability sample of 912 men from Miami, FL; Los Angeles, CA; and New York, NY. We used logistic regression and path analyses to examine direct and indirect effects of childhood sexual abuse on psychological distress and sexual risk behavior. RESULTS: We found a 15.8% (95% confidence interval = 12.3%, 19.2%) prevalence of childhood sexual abuse. Not having sex before age 16 years and having consensual sex before age 16 years did not differ from each other in predicting any of the outcomes of interest. Forced sex was associated with a significantly increased risk for all outcomes. A path analyses yielded direct effects of childhood sexual abuse and exposure to homophobia during childhood and during adulthood on psychological distress and indirect effects on risky sexual behavior. CONCLUSIONS: HIV-risk patterns among Latino gay and bisexual men are related to childhood sexual abuse and a social context of discrimination, which combined lead to symptoms of psychological distress and participation in risky sexual situations that increase risky sexual behaviors associated with HIV acquisition.

Higher prevalence of childhood sexual abuse among Latino men who have sex with men than non-Latino men who have sex with men: data from the Urban Men's Health Study.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of childhood sexual abuse among Latino adult men who have sex with men who live in the US was estimated because a history of childhood sexual abuse increases HIV sexual risk behaviors and other negative health outcomes in adulthood. METHOD: The Urban Men's Health Study is a random-digit telephone probability survey of 2881 adult men who have sex with men (MSM) aged 18 years or older residing in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Self-reported history of childhood sexual abuse was the main outcome measure gathered from 2692 MSM. RESULTS: A significantly higher proportion of Latino MSM reported sexual abuse before age 13 (22%) than did non-Latino MSM (11%). CONCLUSIONS: Latino MSM are twice as likely to report a history of childhood sexual abuse than are non-Latino MSM. Given the association between childhood sexual abuse and increased risk for HIV and other negative health outcomes, health providers must remain vigilant to the possibility of childhood sexual abuse histories among their Latino patients.