NEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters) -- Homosexual and bisexual men who were sexually abused as children or teenagers are more likely to engage in unsafe sexual practices as adults, a new study shows.
These early traumatic experiences are thought to profoundly effect the sexually abused victim's view of himself as an adult, and his emotional health.
The findings also suggest that a history of sexual abuse may be common among gay and bisexual men, perhaps even more common than the 3% to 31% reported among men in general.
"While we don't know for sure how the abuse leads to these risky activities, we know abuse in general is associated with increased social isolation, less acceptance of self, and less openness to discussing such intimate matters as sexual practices," says Dr. William Lenderking, of the Massachusetts General Hospital department of psychiatry in Boston.
Lenderking, the biostatistician who headed the study, notes that previous studies of childhood sexual abuse have shown that it can lead to problems such as depression, substance abuse, low self-esteem, and promiscuous sexual behavior.
The researcher and his colleagues based their findings on questionnaires completed by 327 homosexual and bisexual men, average age 39. The survey found that 116 (36%) reported being sexually abused before age 16, a rate more than three times that reported in the general population, Lenderking says. Almost 75% said they had such experiences when they were younger than 13 years of age.
Survey participants were also asked about their current sexual practices. During the preceding six months, 21% of those who had been abused had engaged in unprotected receptive anal intercourse, compared with 11% of those who did not report abuse.
Those who reported being abused also were more likely to have lied about their sexual histories in order to have sex and had more sexual partners in their lifetimes.
Lenderking points out that the study participants were largely well-educated and had been involved in other research studies, testing, and counseling for many years.
"Even among men who are knowledgeable of HIV transmission risk factors and who have the kind of commitment required to participate in long-term research studies, the experience of being sexually abused -- sometimes decades earlier -- can have a powerful impact on their behavior," he says.
Study co-author Dr. Kenneth Mayer of Boston's Fenway Community Health Center says whether or not children and teens who are sexually abused "receive supportive, appropriate therapy at a young age could have a major impact on how the AIDS epidemic moves in the future."
SOURCE: Journal of General Internal Medicine (1997;12(4):250-253)
