Sexually Transmitted Infections and Sexual Dysfunctions Among Newly Returned Veterans With and Without Military Sexual Trauma

ABSTRACT

This cross-sectional study examined the odds of being diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or a sexual dysfunction disorder (SDD) among Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) American veterans receiving care in the Veterans’ Health Administration (VHA) in relation to whether or not they have experienced military sexual trauma (MST). Among those veterans who experienced MST, the influence of a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder, a depressive disorder, or a substance use disorder on the odds of being diagnosed with an STI or SDD was also examined. The study utilized nationwide VHA records of 420,725 OEF/OIF male and female veterans who used VHA services in fiscal years 2002 to 2010. Veterans who reported a history of MST were more likely to have a number of STIs and SDDs compared with veterans without a history of MST. Among veterans with MST, the risk for having an STI or SDD increased with the presence of certain mental health diagnoses. Implications for clinical practice and assessment with veterans are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Sexual trauma
• veterans
• military
• sexually transmitted infections
• sexual dysfunctions

Acknowledgments

This article not subject to U.S. copyright law.Writing of this manuscript was supported by the VA Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment, VA Office of Academic Affiliations. The authors would like to thank Meghan Saweikis, M.S. for her programming assistance. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the U.S. Government.

Notes

^aTotal n for marital status lower than other variables due to missing values (marital status n = 420,485; unknown n = 240).

^aAdjusted for age group and time in VHA.

^bMen cannot get this infection.

^cAdjusted exact logistic regressions were calculated for the variables.

^aAdjusted for PTSD, depressive disorder, and SUD diagnoses.

^† p = .05.