Citation

Allsworth JE, Anand M, Redding CA, Peipert JF. J. Womens Health (Larchmont) 2009; 18(4): 529-534.

Affiliation

1 Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine , Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Louis, Missouri., 2 Cancer Prevention Research Center, University of Rhode Island , Kingston, Rhode Island.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/jwh.2007.0757

PMID

19245303

PMCID

PMC2872208

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether women aged 13-35 who were victims of interpersonal violence were more likely than nonvictims to experience incident sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Methods: We examined 542 women aged 13-35 enrolled in Project PROTECT, a randomized clinical trial that compared two different methods of computer-based intervention to promote the use of dual methods of contraception. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire that included questions about their history of interpersonal violence and were followed for incident STIs over the 2-year study period. We compared the incidence of STIs in women with and without a history of interpersonal violence using bivariate analyses and multiple logistic regression. Results: In the bivariate analyses, STI incidence was found to be significantly associated with African American race/ethnicity, a higher number of sexual partners in the past month, and a lower likelihood of avoidance of sexual partners who pressure to have sex without a condom. In both crude and adjusted regression analyses, time to STI incidence was faster among women who reported physical or sexual abuse in the year before study enrollment (HRR(adj) = 1.68, 95% CI 1.06, 2.65). Conclusions: Women with a recent history of abuse are at significantly increased risk of STI incidence than are nonvictims.

Language: en