Post-traumatic stress disorder as a risk factor for HIV among African American and Latina women in methadone treatment in New York City

Informed by social cognitive theory, tension reduction theory, and social support theory, this study examined the association between Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and HIV risk factors among 327 randomly selected African American and Latina women in methadone treatment in New York City. Descriptive, bivariate, and logistic regression analyses were conducted. After adjusting for race/ethnicity, age, education level, income, illicit substance abuse and/or binge drinking within the last six months, having experienced intimate partner violence within the last six months, having experienced childhood sexual abuse, having depression during the past six months and having less perceived social support, logistic regression findings revealed that women who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth version (DSM-IV) criteria for all three PTSD symptom clusters (reexperiencing, avoidance/numbing, arousal) during the past six months were 2.292 times more likely to have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection or have a sexually transmitted infection symptom(s) during the past six months, and were approaching statistical significance for having had sex with a high-risk sex partner during the past six months than women who did not meet criteria for all three PTSD symptom clusters during the past six months. In addition, after adjusting for all of the above background factors and potential confounders, women who met criteria for a PTSD reexperiencing symptom cluster were approaching statistical significance for having engaged in sex trading during the past six months when compared to women who did not meet criteria for a PTSD reexperiencing symptom cluster. It is evident that counselors, social workers, and medical staff need to understand and address the relationship between HIV and co-occurring risk factors in the assessment and treatment of women who abuse substances. Moreover, most substance abuse research studies do not consider PTSD, history of interpersonal partner violence and/or childhood sexual abuse in women in their models; this research gap needs to be addressed.