Sexual abuse and intimate partner violence among Black MSM

BACKGROUND: A history of sexual abuse and intimate partner violence can lead to distress in the lives of men who have sex with men (MSM). However, not much is known about the rates of abuse and partner violence, particularly among Black MSM. We examined the characteristics of men who experienced sexual abuse and intimate partner violence.

METHODS: In Philadelphia, 540 Black MSM recruited through Respondent-Driven Sampling completed an ACASI survey assessing HIV risk. Participants were age 18-71 (mean=42.4); 78% reported annual income less than $20,000; 25% did not complete high school and 26% completed education beyond high school. 17% identified as heterosexual, 44% bisexual, and 39% gay.

RESULTS: Of the total sample, 23% reported a history of sexual abuse; 49% reported a history of intimate partner violence;17% reported both sexual abuse and intimate partner violence. Of the men reporting sexual abuse, 56% were age <13 when the abuse first occurred, 27% were 13-17, and 17% were >17. Gay identified men were most likely to report a history of sexual abuse (32%), compared to bisexual men (20%) and heterosexual men (14%) (p<.001). Rates of partner violence did not differ by sexual identity. There were no differences in rates of sexual abuse or partner violence by age, income or education.

CONCLUSIONS: High rates of sexual abuse and intimate partner violence were seen among Black MSM regardless of age or socio-economic status This underscores the need to develop effective interventions to address these important public health concerns.