Childhood trauma and sexual behavior in adulthood among internal medicine outpatients

Abstract

Abuse in childhood may be associated with a variety of sexual behaviors in adulthood. However, previous studies have been limited by population type, number of traumas inquired about, and number of sexual behaviors explored. In this study, we examined five forms of childhood abuse or trauma (i.e. sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, and the witnessing of violence) and 13 sexuality variables (e.g., age at first intercourse, number of different sexual partners) among 76 women in an outpatient resident-provider internal medicine setting. Participants who had experienced childhood “sexual abuse” reported a younger “age at first intercourse” and a greater incidence of having “ever been raped by a stranger” and having “ever been raped by a partner” – but not multiple sexual partners (i.e. promiscuity), as expected. We discuss the implications of these findings.