Skip to main content
Journal cover image

The effects of early sexual abuse on adult risky sexual behaviors among persons with severe mental illness.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Van Dorn, RA; Mustillo, S; Elbogen, EB; Dorsey, S; Swanson, JW; Swartz, MS
Published in: Child Abuse Negl
November 2005

OBJECTIVE: There were two aims: first, to examine the relationship between prior sexual abuse and three types of adult risky sexual behaviors [(1) ever traded sex for drugs or money, (2) had unprotected sex in the past 6 months, and (3) frequency of unprotected sex in the past 6 months] among persons with severe mental illness (SMI), and second, to examine the potential mediating effects of adult rape, substance use, and PTSD. METHOD: Using a pooled sample of individuals with SMI (N=609), logistic and negative binomial regression analyses were used to investigate the impact of prior sexual abuse on these adult risky sexual behaviors. RESULTS: Childhood sexual abuse was associated with having ever traded sex for money and having engaged in unprotected sex in the past 6 months. However, childhood sexual abuse was inversely associated with the number of times males had unprotected sex in the past 6 months. Results differed between males and females and the impact of potential mediators also varied by gender and type of outcome studied. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a complex link between childhood sexual abuse and adult risky sexual behaviors in persons with SMI. Clinical assessments of child abuse sequelae should include a variety of indicators and parameters of adult risky sexual behavior, as persons with SMI are at an increased risk of engaging in high-risk sexual behaviors and tend to have a higher exposure to childhood sexual abuse than does the general population.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Child Abuse Negl

DOI

ISSN

0145-2134

Publication Date

November 2005

Volume

29

Issue

11

Start / End Page

1265 / 1279

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Survivors
  • Sexual Behavior
  • Risk-Taking
  • Regression Analysis
  • Mental Disorders
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Developmental & Child Psychology
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Van Dorn, R. A., Mustillo, S., Elbogen, E. B., Dorsey, S., Swanson, J. W., & Swartz, M. S. (2005). The effects of early sexual abuse on adult risky sexual behaviors among persons with severe mental illness. Child Abuse Negl, 29(11), 1265–1279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2005.06.004
Van Dorn, Richard A., Sarah Mustillo, Eric B. Elbogen, Shannon Dorsey, Jeffrey W. Swanson, and Marvin S. Swartz. “The effects of early sexual abuse on adult risky sexual behaviors among persons with severe mental illness.Child Abuse Negl 29, no. 11 (November 2005): 1265–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2005.06.004.
Van Dorn RA, Mustillo S, Elbogen EB, Dorsey S, Swanson JW, Swartz MS. The effects of early sexual abuse on adult risky sexual behaviors among persons with severe mental illness. Child Abuse Negl. 2005 Nov;29(11):1265–79.
Van Dorn, Richard A., et al. “The effects of early sexual abuse on adult risky sexual behaviors among persons with severe mental illness.Child Abuse Negl, vol. 29, no. 11, Nov. 2005, pp. 1265–79. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2005.06.004.
Van Dorn RA, Mustillo S, Elbogen EB, Dorsey S, Swanson JW, Swartz MS. The effects of early sexual abuse on adult risky sexual behaviors among persons with severe mental illness. Child Abuse Negl. 2005 Nov;29(11):1265–1279.
Journal cover image

Published In

Child Abuse Negl

DOI

ISSN

0145-2134

Publication Date

November 2005

Volume

29

Issue

11

Start / End Page

1265 / 1279

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Survivors
  • Sexual Behavior
  • Risk-Taking
  • Regression Analysis
  • Mental Disorders
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Developmental & Child Psychology