Minority women with sexually transmitted diseases: sexual abuse and risk for pelvic inflammatory disease.
Mexican American and African American women (N = 617) with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) underwent a targeted physical exam and questioning regarding sexual abuse, current genitourinary symptomatology, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) risk behaviors to determine the relationship between sexual abuse and risk for PID. Sexually abused women (n = 194) reported higher PID risk behaviors, including earlier coitus, more sex partners, higher STD recurrence, and a tendency toward delayed health-seeking behavior. They also reported more severe genitourinary symptomatology, confirmed by physical exam, and presumptive diagnoses of PID. These characteristics identify sexually abused women at high risk for PID. Because of its considerable impact on risk for PID, assessment for sexual abuse is essential in clinical management of women with STD and for diagnosis of PID.
Champion
J D
JD
School of Nursing, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78284, USA.
Piper
J
J
Shain
R N
RN
Perdue
S T
ST
Newton
E R
ER
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010808:Physical Examination; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires