Sexual Trauma, Substance Abuse, and Treatment Success in a Sample of African American Women Who Smoke Crack Cocaine

Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the relationship among sexual trauma, severity of substance use, and treatment success for African American women who smoke crack cocaine. Using a convenience sample of 208 African American women with a history of crack smoking, participants were interviewed for 2 to 4 hr and asked a variety of questions about their health, relationships, sexuality, and drug use. Women with a history of sexual trauma ( N = 134) reported being addicted to more substances than women who had not been sexually traumatized ( N = 74), despite the fact that the two groups did not differ on the number of substances used. Differences in the self-reported level of substance abuse was corroborated with external evidence of group differences in substance abuse severity. Women with a history of sexual trauma, compared to women without such a history, were admitted to the hospital or emergency room more often for health issues related to their substance use and were more likely to be negligent in caring for their children because of their drug use. We also found evidence to suggest that there are differences in treatment success between the two groups; women with a history of sexual trauma reported having been to substance abuse treatment programs more often than women without such a history. These findings are discussed in light of the particular treatment needs of women with a history of sexual trauma.