Childhood trauma, sexually transmitted diseases and the perceived risk of contracting HIV in a drug using population.

This cross-sectional study explored the association among childhood trauma, sexually transmitted diseases histories, and perceived risk of contracting AIDS in 358 women and 338 male drug users in San Antonio, Texas. Women addicts were less educated, more likely to be in a common-law relationship, living with someone of the opposite sex or separated, and had lower incomes in comparison to men addicts. Significant findings were that women with increasing severity of abuse (emotional, physical, and sexual) histories as measured by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire had increasing numbers of sexually transmitted diseases and perceptions of contracting HIV. These findings have implications for future directions in HIV and sexually transmitted disease intervention programs.