摘要：Objective. We assessed the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and sexual risk behaviors and fatherhood (having fathered children) among young men. Methods. Sexually active men aged 18 to 35 years who visited an urban community health center and who reported having sexual intercourse with a steady female partner during the past 3 months (N = 283) completed a brief self-administered survey about sexual risk behaviors, IPV perpetration, and demographics. We conducted logistic regression analyses adjusted for demographics to assess associations between IPV and sexual risk behaviors and fatherhood. Results. Participants were predominantly Hispanic (74.9%) and Black (21.9%). Participants who reported IPV perpetration during the past year (41.3%) were significantly more likely to report (1) inconsistent or no condom use during vaginal and anal sexual intercourse, (2) forcing sexual intercourse without a condom, (3) having sexual intercourse with other women, and (4) having fathered 3 or more children. Conclusion. IPV perpetration was common among our sample and was associated with increased sexual risk behaviors. Urban community health centers may offer an important venue for reaching this at-risk population. Extensive evidence from diverse populations of women has shown that intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization—a health issue estimated to affect 1 in 4 US women 1 – 7 —is significantly associated with low contraceptive and condom use and adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes (e.g., pelvic pain, menstrual abnormalities, sexually transmitted disease (STD)/HIV, unwanted pregnancy, and multiple abortions). 8 – 10 This research has primarily been limited to studies of female IPV victims and has rarely included reports from male perpetrators. Although research that has included women’s and girls’ reports of male partner behavior shows a potential association between high rates of IPV perpetration and sexual risk behaviors among young adult men, 11 – 18 there has been little direct study of whether abusive male partners pose a greater sexual risk to women because of the men’s own risky sexual behaviors. Within qualitative studies, battered women have reported that abusive male partners prevented them from using contraception and thus, forced them to have unprotected sex, sometimes for the purposes of conception. 19 , 20 The sole study of sexual risk behaviors and IPV that was conducted with men showed that IPV perpetration was associated with sexual infidelity, multiple sexual partners, and unprotected anal sexual intercourse. 21 This sample was drawn from a methadone treatment clinic and thus limited generalizability of the study findings. No published study to date has assessed the association between IPV perpetration and fatherhood (i.e., having fathered children) among men. Our goal was to build upon the previous studies by assessing the association of IPV perpetration with sexual risk behaviors and fatherhood among a sample of young adult men who attended a large urban community health center.
