Evaluation of sexual violence among lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual Hispanic women living in Puerto Rico

Objective To investigate the association between sexual orientation and sexual violence in Hispanic women living in Puerto Rico. Methods Secondary data analysis of a cross‐sectional study. An anonymous web‐based questionnaire was distributed in Puerto Rico between February and April 2016. Variables included history of sexual violence, sexual orientation, and age of first sexual experiences. Data were analyzed using χ2 testing and a P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results Sociodemographic characteristics were similar between groups except for age in the 476 participants. The most common age of first sexual experiences was between 7 and 12 years, 13–18 years for penile vaginal and oral sex, and 22–29 years for penile anal sex in the overall population of the study. These did not differ except that more bisexual women 40 (71.4%) had their first oral sex experience at 13–18 years compared with 164 (50.7%) heterosexual and 35 (55.2%) lesbian women (P = 0.045). Of the 19.2% of participants who reported sexual violence, there were 50 (18.4%) heterosexual, 8 (12.2%) lesbian, and 17 (34.7%) bisexual women. Bisexual women were more likely to disclose sexual violence (P = 0.007). Conclusion Most women stated having a sexual experience at a young age. Significant proportions reported sexual violence with bisexual women being the most likely. Screening for sexual violence must be routinely performed by health professionals. Synopsis A significant number of women experience sexual violence; bisexual women are the most likely to experience this.