Intimate partner violence among women veterans by sexual orientation.
National estimates suggest intimate partner violence (IPV) rates are equal or higher among lesbian, bisexual, or questioning (LBQ)-identified women than heterosexual-identified women. Women veterans are a population at high risk for IPV, yet the occurrence of lifetime and past-year IPV experiences by sexual orientation have not been examined in this population. Lifetime and past-year IPV experiences and current IPV-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were assessed with validated screening measures as part of a 2014 web-based national survey of women veterans. Among 403 respondents, 9.7% (n = 39) identified as LBQ, and 90.3% (n = 364) identified as heterosexual. When controlling for age, LBQ-identified women veterans were significantly more likely to report lifetime sexual and physical IPV and lifetime intimate partner stalking. In the past year, LBQ-identified veterans were twice as likely to endorse emotional mistreatment and physical IPV, and three times more likely to endorse sexual IPV, than were heterosexual-identified women veterans. However, sexual orientation was unrelated to IPV-related PTSD symptoms, when controlling for age, race, and number IPV forms experienced. IPV is prevalent among LBQ-identified women veterans, suggesting the need to understand the potentially unique contextual factors and health-care needs of this group.
a National Center for PTSD , VA Boston Healthcare System , Boston , Massachusetts , USA.|b Department of Psychiatry , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , Massachusetts , USA.
Christina M
CM
Dardis
a National Center for PTSD , VA Boston Healthcare System , Boston , Massachusetts , USA.|b Department of Psychiatry , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , Massachusetts , USA.|c Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Program, Office of Patient Care Services , Veterans Health Administration , Washington , DC , USA.
Jillian C
JC
Shipherd
a National Center for PTSD , VA Boston Healthcare System , Boston , Massachusetts , USA.|b Department of Psychiatry , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , Massachusetts , USA.
Katherine M
KM
Iverson
D000328:Adult; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D020010:Heterosexuality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D000066511:Intimate Partner Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
Bisexual; intimate partner violence; lesbian; questioning; stalking; women veterans