POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND HIV RISK BEHAVIORS AMONG RURAL AMERICAN INDIAN/ALASKA NATIVE WOMEN AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH Pearson, C. R., Kaysen, D., Belcourt, A., Stappenbeck, C. A., Zhou, C., Smartlowit-Briggs, L., Whitefoot, P. 2015; 22 (3): 1–20

Abstract

We assessed the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), binge drinking, and HIV sexual risk behavior by examining number of unprotected sex acts and number of sexual partners in the past 6 months among 129 sexually active American Indian women. A total of 51 (39.5%) young women met PTSD criteria. Among women who met the PTSD criteria, binge drinking was associated with a 35% increased rate of unprotected sex (IRR 1.35, p < .05), and there was a stronger association between increased binge drinking and risk of more sexual partners (IRR 1.21, p < .001) than among women who did not meet PTSD criteria (IRR 1.08, p < .01) with a difference of 13% (p < .05). HIV intervention and prevention interventions in this population likely would benefit from the inclusion of efforts to reduce binge drinking and increase treatment of PTSD symptoms.

View details for DOI 10.5820/aian.2203.2015.1

View details for Web of Science ID 000366978800001

View details for PubMedID 26425863

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC4603289