Mediation Effects of Problem Drinking and Marijuana Use on HIV Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Childhood Sexually Abused South African Heterosexual Men

• NCJ Number: 246693
• Journal: Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 38 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2014 Pages: 234-242
• Author(s): Larry D. Icard; John B. Jemmott III; Anne Teitelman; Ann O'Leary; G. Anita Heeren
• Date Published: February 2014
• Length: 9 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1 R01 HD053270
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study of 1,181 heterosexual Black men in South Africa (ages 18-45) examined whether marijuana use and problem drinking mediate the relationship between histories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and behaviors that pose a risk for HIV.

Abstract

This is a particularly relevant issue in South Africa, where the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is among the highest in the world, with heterosexual transmission being the primary driver of the epidemic. The study findings indicate that problem drinking and marijuana use among study participants with CSA histories mediated sexual behaviors that placed the men at risk for HIV/AIDS. The risky sexual behaviors included unprotected sexual intercourse with multiple steady and casual partners. The findings suggest that targeting men with histories of CSA could reduce the heterosexual transmission of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Study participants lived in randomly selected neighborhoods in Eastern Cape Province. Audio computer-assisted, self-interviewing was used to assess self-reported CSA, problem drinking, and marijuana use, as well as HIV sexual transmission behavior with steady and casual partners. 1 figure, 2 tables, and 60 references