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An expanded version of this article appeared in the Province on July 9, 1996.

SUMMIT SNIPPETS

compiled by John Bermingham

Gay and bisexual men in Vancouver show a strong history of sexual abuse, according to a new study by the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS at St. Paul's Hospital.

Among the findings:

• Some 32 per cent of men report non-consensual sex. Of those, 41 per cent were abused as kids.
• The perpetrators were males known to the family, male strangers, male boyfriends and male relatives.
• These men were twice as likely to have unprotected sex within the previous year.
• They also doubled their chances of abusing alcohol and drugs
• "Sexual abuse could be a marker of vulnerability," said Dr. Steffanie Strathdee. "Underlying psychological distress may lead to situations where people are less able to negotiate safer sex."

For more information, contact:

Bonnie Devlin
Vanguard Project Coordinator
608 - 1081 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6Z 1Y6
Tel: (604)806-8306
Fax: (604)806-9044