PURPOSE: Examine whether an association exists between having a
sexual abuse history and having a psychoactive substance use disorder
(PSUD) history in a population of HIV seropositive men. METHODS:
Survey study of 95 HIV seropositive men. Sociodemographic and sexual
abuse histories obtained before administration of the Standardized
Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID-NP-HIV)-used to identify
PSUD. RESULTS: Nineteen (20%) subjects had sexual abuse
histories. Sexual abuse occurred early (mean age: 8.1 years). Ten
(53%) subjects reported oral (n = 4) and/or anal (n = 9) penetration
by perpetrator. Comparing men with histories of sexual abuse to men
without, the odds ratio (OR) for subsequent injection drug use was 5.4
(1.5, 19.6), and for subsequent early (before age 20) injection drug
use was 21.6 (3.4, 224.5). Adjusted ORs were 2.4 (0.55, 10.6) and 12.2
(1.7, 90.3), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of HIV
seropositive men, an association between having been sexually abused
and subsequently initiating injection drug use during adolescence
exists. Future studies that more rigorously evaluate the possible
causal nature of this association are indicated.