Impact of childhood sexual abuse on antiretroviral medication adherence, sexual risk behaviours and overall health among men who have sex with men

Key take-home messages

• Men who have sex with men are two to four times more likely than men in the general population to have experienced childhood sexual abuse.
• Men who have sex with men who have a history of childhood sexual abuse are more likely to be HIV-positive and more likely to engage in unprotected anal intercourse.
• Men who have sex with men who have a history of childhood sexual abuse experience high rates of adult sexual abuse and other forms of intimate partner violence. They also experience high rates of depression, anxiety, mood or mental disorders, eating disorders, suicidality, and drug and alcohol use.
• A history of childhood sexual abuse may affect antiretroviral adherence in men who have sex with men.
• Very few interventions have been developed to address the traumatic stress of childhood sexual abuse on HIV transmission risk. Of those, a stress-focused intervention and a cognitive behaviour health intervention seemed to be effective in reducing sexual risk behaviours among HIV-positive Latino and African-American men who have sex with men.
• Being sensitive to childhood sexual abuse histories among sexual minority populations is important when establishing interventions for reducing sexual risk behaviours.

• Determinants of Health
  • Abuse
• Population(s)
  • Men who have sex with men
  • General HIV+ population
  • General HIV- population
• Prevention
  • Sexual risk behaviour
• Substance Use
  • Nonmedicinal drugs