Early childhood maltreatment experience and later sexual behavior in Brazilian adults undergoing treatment for substance dependence

Abstract

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of early childhood maltreatment and associations with later sexual behavior among adult substance users.Methods:A cross-sectional study enrolled 134 substance dependents who sought outpatient care in São Paulo, Brazil. Childhood trauma prevalence was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). The Sexual Addiction Screening Test (SAST), drug of choice (DOC), and sexual behavior were also investigated.Results:The sample was composed predominantly of single adult males (76.1%), with alcohol as the DOC (73.9%). Experiences of emotional neglect (88.1%), emotional abuse (80.6%), physical neglect (78.4%), physical abuse (64.2%), and sexual abuse (31.3%) were prevalent. Women were more likely to have been sexually abused (OR 2.9, 95%CI 1.15-7.61) and physically abused (OR 3.7, 95%CI 1.31-10.6) in childhood. Those who were sexually abused in adulthood were more likely to have suffered physical abuse in childhood (OR 6.9, 95%CI 1.45-11.8). The odds of having been sexually abused in childhood were higher among subjects who reported to have exchanged sexual favors for drugs (OR 5.7, 95%CI 1.35-9.64) and to have been sexually abused in adulthood (OR 6.1, 95%CI 5.2-12.36).Conclusion:Physical and sexual abuse in childhood are highly prevalent in substance-dependent adults, and are associated with sexual revictimization and high-risk sexual behavior in adulthood.

Sexual risky behavior, cocaine and alcohol use among substance users in an outpatient facility: a cross section study

“…In Brazil, a recent study with a sample of adults under treatment for substance use disorders found that 31.3% of them had a history of sexual abuse. The authors were able to conclude that being a victim of sexual abuse during childhood is a predictor of sexual risk behavior in adulthood [36].…”

The Relationship between Childhood Maltreatment and Risky Sexual Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis

“…A robust body of literature connecting childhood maltreatment and risky sexual behavior has focused on outcomes for sexual abuse in particular [17,18,19,20]. The relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and subsequent RSBs in adolescence and adulthood has also been well established in both high-risk and general population [21,22,23,24,25]. However, there is equivocal evidence that other maltreatment forms predict risky sexual behavior as strongly as CSA [26,27,28].…”

The emotional and psychiatric problems of adolescents on parole whose parents are substance users: A Brazilian cross-sectional study

“…Understanding the contexts of parental substance use is a requirement in the public policies of some countries (Velleman and Templeton, 2016) as opposed to how children and adolescents affected by parental consumption who have become involved in criminality and subsequently with social services or judiciary services. Currently there is health (Torvik et al, 2011;IOM and NRC, 2014;Diehl et al, 2018), community service (Figlie et al, 2004), schools (Filov et al, 2014) and general population (WHO, 2014) related research on the subject. There has been limited published literature investigating the outcomes for adolescents, who come from families with a substance using parents (Winters, 2014;Nadel and Thornberry, 2017), who have been involved the judiciary, hence this present study.…”