Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Physical Victimization and High-Risk Sexual Partners among Illicit Drug-Using Heterosexual Men in New York City

  • Published:
Journal of Urban Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Physical victimization has been linked to high-risk sexual partnerships in women. Although illicit drug-using heterosexual men are at high-risk of physical victimization, the association between violence and high-risk partners in heterosexual men has received little attention in the published literature. We examined the association between experience of severe physical victimization and acquisition of a high-risk sexual partner (i.e., a partner who injected drugs or participated in transactional sex) 1 year later among illicit drug-using men in New York City (2006–2009) using secondary cross-sectional data. Injection and non-injection drug-using men (n = 280) provided a retrospectively recalled history of risk behavior and violence for each year over the past 4 years. Our primary outcome was acquisition of a high-risk sexual partner in any year following the baseline year. Our primary exposure was severe physical victimization (i.e., threatened with a knife or gun, beaten up, shot, or stabbed) in the prior year. Frequency of cocaine, heroin, and crack use and sexual victimization were also assessed. Log-binomial logistic regression with generalized estimating equation (GEE) methods was used to account for repeated measures for up to four time points. After adjustment for important covariates, participants that experienced physical victimization were significantly more likely to have acquired a high-risk sexual partner 1 year later (relative risk (RR), 3.73; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.55–8.97). Our study challenges gender-based stereotypes surrounding physical victimization and provides support for multidisciplinary programs that address both violence and HIV risk among illicit drug-using heterosexual men.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chermack ST, Blow FC. Violence among individuals in substance abuse treatment: the role of alcohol and cocaine consumption. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2002; 66(1): 29–37.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Marshall BDL, Fairbairn N, Li K, Wood E, Kerr T. Physical violence among a prospective cohort of injection drug users: a gender-focused approach. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2008; 97(3): 237–246.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Chermack ST, Walton MA, Fuller BE, Blow FC. Correlates of expressed and received violence across relationship types among men and women substance abusers. Psychol Addict Behav. 2001; 15(2): 140–151.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Varghese B, Maher J, Peterman T, Branson B, Steketee R. Reducing the risk of sexual HIV transmission: quantifying the per-act risk for HIV on the basis of choice of partner, sex act, and condom use. Sex Transm Dis. 2002; 29(1): 38–43.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. El Bassel N, Gilbert L, Schilling R, Wada T. Drug abuse and partner violence among women in methadone treatment. J Fam Violence. 2000; 15(3): 209–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. El Bassel N, Gilbert L, Wu E, Go H, Hill J. HIV and intimate partner violence among methadone-maintained women in New York City. Soc Sci Med. 2005; 61(1): 171–183.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Truman JL, Rand MR. Criminal Victimization, 2009. Washington, DC: U.S.Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics; 2010 Oct. Report No.: NCJ 231327.

  8. Houston E, McKirnan D. Intimate partner abuse among gay and bisexual men: risk correlates and health outcomes. J Urban Health. 2007; 84(5): 681–690.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Feldman MB, Diaz RM, Ream GL, El-Bassel N. Intimate partner violence and HIV sexual risk behavior among Latino gay and bisexual men. J LGBT Health Res. 2007; 3(2): 9–19.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Stall R, Mills TC, Williamson J, et al. Association of co-occurring psychosocial health problems and increased vulnerability to HIV/AIDS among urban men who have sex with men. Am J Public Health. 2003; 93(6): 939–942.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Koblin BA, Husnik MJ, Colfax G, et al. Risk factors for HIV infection among men who have sex with men. AIDS. 2006; 20(5): 731–739.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Braitstein P, Li K, Tyndall M, et al. Sexual violence among a cohort of injection drug users. Soc Sci Med. 2003; 57(3): 561–569.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Murphy DL. Heterosexual contacts of intravenous drug users. Implications for the next spread of the AIDS epidemic. Adv Alcohol Subst Abus. 1988; 7(2): 89–97.

  14. Latkin CA, Hua W, Forman VL. The relationship between social network characteristics and exchanging sex for drugs or money among drug users in Baltimore, Maryland. Int J STDs AIDS. 2004; 14(11): 770–775.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Booth RE, Watters JK, Chitwood DD. HIV risk-related sex behaviors among injection drug users, crack smokers, and injection drug users who smoke crack. Am J Public Health. 1993; 83(8): 1144–1148.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Bobashev G, Zule W, Osilla K, Kline T, Wechsberg W. Transactional sex among men and women in the South at high risk for HIV and other STIs. J Urban Health. 2009; 86(Suppl 1): 32–47.

  17. Kral AH, Bluthenthal RN, Lorvick J, Gee L, Bacchetti P, Edlin BR. Sexual transmission of HIV-1 among injection drug users in San Francisco, USA: risk-factor analysis. Lancet. 2001; 357(9266): 1397–1401.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Astemborski J, Vlahov D, Warren D, Solomon L, Nelson KE. The trading of sex for drugs or money and HIV seropositivity among female intravenous drug users. Am J Public Health. 1994; 84(3): 382–387.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Jenness S, Kobrak P, Wendel T, Neaigus A, Murrill C, Hagan H. Patterns of exchange sex and HIV infection in high-risk heterosexual men and women. J Urban Health. 2011; 88(2): 329–341.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Jenness SM, Neaigus A, Hagan H, Murrill CS, Wendel T. Heterosexual HIV and sexual partnerships between injection drug users and noninjection drug users. AIDS Patient Care STDs. 2010; 24(3): 175–181.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Wilson HW, Widom CS. An examination of risky sexual behavior and HIV in victims of child abuse and neglect: a 30-year follow-up. Health Psychol. 2008; 27(2): 149–158.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Richter L, Komarek A, Desmond C et al. Reported physical and sexual abuse in childhood and adult HIV risk behaviour in three African countries: Findings from Project Accept (HPTN-043). AIDS Behav. 2014; 18(2): 381-389.

  23. Rudolph AE, Crawford ND, Latkin C, et al. Subpopulations of illicit drug users reached by targeted street outreach and respondent-driven sampling strategies: implications for research and public health practice. Ann Epidemiol. 2011; 21(4): 280–289.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  24. Ompad D, Galea S, Marshall G, et al. Sampling and recruitment in multilevel studies among marginalized urban populations: the IMPACT studies. JUrban Health. 2008; 85(2): 268–280.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Anthony JC, Vlahov D, Celentano DD, et al. Self-report interview data for a study of HIV-1 infection among intravenous drug users: description of methods and preliminary evidence on validity. J Drug Issues. 1991; 21(4): 739–757.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Manning S, Thorpe L, Ramaswamy C, et al. Estimation of HIV prevalence, risk factors, and testing frequency among sexually active men who have sex with men, aged 18–64 years-New York City, 2002. J Urban Health. 2007; 84(2): 212–225.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Des Jarlais DC, Arasteh K, Perlis T, et al. Convergence of HIV seroprevalence among injecting and non-injecting drug users in New York City. AIDS. 2007; 21(2): 231–235.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. New York City HIV/AIDS Annual Surveillance Statistics. New York: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Stata Statistical Software: Relase 11.2 [computer program]. College Station, TX: StataCorp LP; 2009.

  30. Diggle PJ, Liang K-Y, Zeger SL. Analysis of longitudinal data. New York: Oxford University Press; 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Twisk J. Different statistical models to analyze epidemiological observational longitudinal data: an example from the Amsterdam Growth and Health Study. Int J Sports Med. 1997; 18(Suppl 3): S216–S224.

  32. Amaro H. Love, sex, and power: considering women’s realities in HIV prevention. Am Psychol. 1995; 50(6): 437–447.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. El-Bassel N, Gilbert L, Rajah V, Foleno A, Frye V. Fear and violence: raising the HIV stakes. AIDS Educ Prev. 2000; 12(2): 154–170.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Balsam KF, Rothblum ED, Beauchaine TP. Victimization over the life span: a comparison of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and heterosexual siblings. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2005; 73(3): 477–487.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Tjaden P, Thoennes N, Allison CJ. Comparing violence over the life span in samples of same-sex and opposite-sex cohabitants. Violence Vict. 1999; 14(4): 413–425.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Rhodes T. The ‘risk environment’: a framework for understanding and reducing drug-related harm. Int J Drug Policy. 2002; 13(2): 85–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Rhodes T. Risk environments and drug harms: a social science for harm reduction approach. Int J Drug Policy. 2009; 20(3): 193–201.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Amesty S, Rivera AV, Fuller CM. Overview of HIV among injection drug users in New York City: critical next steps to eliminate racial/ethnic disparities. Subst Use Misuse. 2011; 46(2–3): 285–294.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  39. Boles S, Miotto K. Substance use and violence: a review of the literature. Aggress Violent Behav. 2003; 8(2): 155–174.

  40. Office of Applied Studies. The NSDUH report: illicit drug use among persons arrested for serious crimes. Rockville: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2005 Dec 16.

  41. Desai S, Arias I, Thompson MP, Basile KC. Childhood victimization and subsequent adult revictimization assessed in a nationally representative sample of women and men. Violence Vict. 2002; 17(6): 639–653.

  42. Darke S. Self-report among injecting drug users: a review. Drug Alcohol Depend. 1998; 51(3): 253–263.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. McElrath K, Chitwood DD, Griffin DK, Comerford M. The consistency of self-reported HIV risk behavior among injection drug users. Am J Public Health. 1994; 84(12): 1965–1970.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  44. Samuels JF, Vlahov D, Anthony JC, Chaisson RE. Measurement of HIV risk behaviors among intravenous drug users. Br J Addict. 1992; 87(3): 417–428.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Jaccard J, McDonald R, Wan CK, Guilamo-Ramos V, Dittus P, Quinlan S. Recalling sexual partners: the accuracy of self-reports. J Health Psychol. 2004; 9(6): 699–712.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Bogart LM, Walt LC, Pavlovic JD, Ober AJ, Brown N, Kalichman SC. Cognitive strategies affecting recall of sexual behavior among high-risk men and women. Health Psychol. 2007; 26(6): 787–793.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Copeland KT, Checkoway H, McMichael AJ, Holbrook RH. Bias due to misclassification in the estimation of relative risk. Am J Epidemiol. 1977; 105(5): 488–495.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Latkin CA, Forman VL, Knowlton A. Concordance between drug users’ and their network members’ reported drug use and HIV status: implications to HIV prevention. Social Networks and Health. Emerald Group Publishing Limited; 2002. p. 151–64.

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01 DA019964-01). Dr. Turner was supported by a supplement from the Special Populations Office at NIDA (R01DA022144-05, R01DA030253-03). Alexis Rivera is supported by the National Institutes on General Medical Sciences Grant No. 5R25GM0624510. The authors thank the START research team and participants for their valuable contributions to the research study and Dr. Carl Latkin for his helpful feedback on this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, 722 W 168th St, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Alezandria K. Turner, Alexis V. Rivera & Crystal Fuller Lewis

  2. Yale School of Nursing, New Haven, CT, USA

    Kandice C. Jones

  3. The Calverton Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Calverton, MD, USA

    Abby Rudolph

  4. Georgia State University, School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Natalie Crawford

Authors
  1. Alezandria K. Turner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kandice C. Jones
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Abby Rudolph
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alexis V. Rivera
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Natalie Crawford
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Crystal Fuller Lewis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alezandria K. Turner.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Turner, A.K., Jones, K.C., Rudolph, A. et al. Physical Victimization and High-Risk Sexual Partners among Illicit Drug-Using Heterosexual Men in New York City. J Urban Health 91, 957–968 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-014-9902-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-014-9902-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation