Clinical trial NCT00653575: Adult Sexual Risk Behavior Among Women With a History of Childhood Sexual Abuse
Official title: HIV Risk Among Women With a History of Childhood Sexual Abuse
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: HIV Infections
Child Abuse, Sexual
Keywords: Sexual Behavior
HIV
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Lead sponsor: Syracuse University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
First posted: 2008-04-07
Enrollment: 481
Sex: FEMALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: This study will include women seeking treatment at the Monroe County Health Department STD Clinic.

Brief summary: This study will evaluate whether childhood experiences are related to current sexual behavior of adult women.

Detailed description: Adverse childhood events, including physical and sexual abuse, can cause significant distress for those affected, during both childhood and adulthood. Childhood abuse appears to increase the risk of a number of negative outcomes later in life, including psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Previous research has consistently found an association between childhood sexual abuse and greater rates of adult sexual risk behavior. However, improved understanding of how childhood sexual abuse relates to adult sexual risk behavior is needed. The Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills and Traumagenic Dynamics models are theories used to investigate determinants of sexual behavior and effects of childhood abuse. Using these models to examine the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual risk behavior may help in creating effective sexual risk reduction interventions for women abused during childhood. This study will evaluate whether childhood experiences are related to current sexual behavior of adult women. The study will also evaluate which theory, the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills model or the Traumagenic Dynamics model, better mediates the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual risk behavior.

Participation in this study will include one study visit. Participants will first complete a 45-minute computerized survey that includes questions about childhood experiences; family environment; current health and behavior; attitudes, knowledge, and thoughts about sex and relationships; control over life circumstances; and substance use. Participants will then engage in two brief role plays in which they will either make a request of their partner or must stand up for themselves. For the last part of the visit, participants will be asked questions about condoms and condom use and will be asked to place a condom on a model used in the clinic.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Understands English

Exclusion Criteria:

* Impaired mentally

Primary outcomes:
measure: Number of sexual partners
timeFrame: Measured at Month 3
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Frequency of unprotected intercourse
timeFrame: Measured at Month 3
measure: Proportion of episodes of unprotected intercourse
timeFrame: Measured at Month 3
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Rochester
country: United States
facility: Monroe County Health Department STD Clinic
state: New York
Study officials:
affiliation: Syracuse University
name: Theresa E. Senn, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: