Citation

Welles SL, Corbin TJ, Rich JA, Reed E, Raj A. J. Community Health 2011; 36(3): 477-485.

Affiliation

Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel School of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10900-010-9331-9

PMID

21116698

Abstract

Little is known about the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among men who have sex with men (MSM) or about childhood adversity as a predictor of IPV among MSM. Studies have documented high rates of childhood sexual abuse among MSM. To evaluate associations of early-life sexual and physical abuse with IPV among African American heterosexual men or MSM, prevalence of early-life (≤21 years) sexual and physical abuse was measured among 703 nonmonogamous African American men. Men were classified as (1) MSM who disclosed male sex partners; (2) MSM who initially denied male sex partners but subsequently reported oral-genital and anal-genital behaviors with men; (3) non-MSM. MSM who initially disclosed male sex partners reported significantly (P < 0.0001) higher rates of early physical abuse (36%) and lifetime abuse (49%) compared with non-MSM (15 and 22%), respectively. These MSM reported significantly higher rates of sexual abuse by age 11, age 21, and over a lifetime compared with non-MSM (P < 0.0001). Being an MSM who initially disclosed male sex partners (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.2, 3.6) and early-life sexual abuse (OR: 2.8; 95% CI: 1.8, 4.3) was associated with IPV victimization in current relationships. Similarly, being an MSM with early-life physical and sexual abuse was associated (0.0004 ≤ P ≤ 0.07) with IPV perpetration. Early-life physical and sexual abuse was higher among MSM who disclosed male sex partners compared with heterosexual men; however, all MSM who experienced early-life abuse were more likely to be IPV victims or perpetrators.

Language: en