Sexual aggression appears to be part of a constellation of sexual risk behaviors; thus, it may be possible to develop prevention programs that target both sexual HIV risk and sexual aggression, according to a recent study. Furthermore, childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a shared risk factor for sexual aggression and HIV risk behavior through the pathway of anxiety. This study sought to (1) confirm the relationship between sexual aggression and HIV risk behavior, (2) establish CSA and negative affect as shared risk factors for sexual aggression and HIV risk behavior, and (3) evaluate whether negative affect mediates the relationship between CSA and sexual aggression and between CSA and HIV sexual risk in a sample of heterosexual men. Researchers evaluated responses from 18- to 30-year-old heterosexual men (n=377) from urban sexually transmitted infection clinics. They found:

• In the final structural equation model, sexual aggression history and sexual HIV risk behavior were correlated.
• CSA was associated with both types of problematic sexual behavior.
• Anxiety significantly mediated the relationship between CSA and sexual aggression and between CSA and sexual HIV risk behavior.