History of sexual abuse in incarcerated adolescents with gonorrhea or syphilis.
From July 1983 to June 1984, 2521 adolescents were medically screened at entry into a detention facility in New York City. A medical history, physical examination, serology for syphilis, and culture for gonorrhea were obtained from each entrant. A retrospective chart review was conducted for 136 persons with gonorrhea and/or syphilis (79 boys and 57 girls) and 136 sex-matched infection-negative controls. Several characteristics were compared including age, age at first sexual intercourse, sexual abuse history, contraceptive use, and pregnancy status. Among infected cases, 8% of males and 32% of females reported a history of sexual abuse, whereas among controls, no males and 14% of females reported abuse. A history of sexual abuse was strongly associated with gonorrhea or syphilis (odds ratio = 3.4; 95% confidence intervals, 1.5-8.0). These data suggest an association between sexual abuse and subsequent high-risk sexual behavior manifested by a gonorrhea or syphilis infection.
Vermund
S H
SH
Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
Alexander-Rodriguez
T
T
Macleod
S
S
Kelley
K F
KF
Alexander-Rodriquez
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000150:complications*; D003075:Coitus; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City; D011330:Prisons; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013587:Syphilis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology