@article{ref1,
title="History of sexual abuse and development of sexual risk behavior in low-income, urban African American girls seeking mental health treatment",
journal="Women and health",
year="2013",
author="Wilson, Helen W. and Emerson, Erin and Donenberg, Geri R. and Pettineo, Laura",
volume="53",
number="4",
pages="384-404",
abstract="Objective: This study examined relationships between sexual abuse and patterns of sexual risk-taking among low-income, urban African American adolescent girls seeking mental health treatment. Method: Participants (N = 158) were 12- to 16-year-old African American girls recruited from outpatient mental health clinics serving urban, mostly low-socioeconomic status communities in Chicago, Illinois and followed for two years between 2003 and 2010. This study included self-reports of sexual abuse and four waves (T2-T5) of self-reported data on sexual experience and sexual risk-taking (number of partners, inconsistent condom use, and sex with a risky partner). Latent curve modeling was used to examine patterns of sexual behavior over the four time points with sexual abuse and mental health symptoms as covariates. Results: Sexual abuse was significantly associated with T2 sexual experience, T2-T4 number of partners, T3 inconsistent condom use, and T2-T3 having a risky partner. These relationships decreased when mental health symptoms were controlled. Conclusions: This longitudinal study revealed a complex relationship between sexual abuse and sexual risk that would be missed if sexual risk were assessed at a single time point. Findings supported early intervention to delay onset of sexual risk behavior among low-income African American girls with mental health concerns and histories of sexual abuse.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0363-0242",
doi="10.1080/03630242.2013.790337",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03630242.2013.790337"
}