The prevalence of childhood sexual experiences and intimate partner violence among transgender women in China: Risk factors for lifetime suicidal ideation

Lulu Xu; Ruijie Chang; Yingjie Chen; Danni Xia; Chen Xu; Xiaoyue Yu; Hui Chen; Rongxi Wang; Yujie Liu; Shangbin Liu; Xin Ge; Tiecheng Ma; Yiwen Zhou; Ying Wang; Sunxiang Ma; Yong Cai

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.1037622

The prevalence of childhood sexual experiences and intimate partner violence among transgender women in China: Risk factors for lifetime suicidal ideation

Front Public Health. 2023 Jan 12:10:1037622. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1037622. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Lulu Xu¹, Ruijie Chang¹, Yingjie Chen¹, Danni Xia¹, Chen Xu¹, Xiaoyue Yu¹, Hui Chen¹, Rongxi Wang¹, Yujie Liu¹, Shangbin Liu¹, Xin Ge¹, Tiecheng Ma², Yiwen Zhou³, Ying Wang¹, Sunxiang Ma³, Yong Cai^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
² Shenyang Consultation Centre of AIDS Aid and Health Service, Shenyang, China.
³ Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
⁴ Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
⁵ Center for Community Health Care, Hospital Development Institute Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

Abstract

Objective: Several studies highlighted childhood sexual experiences (CSEs) and intimate partner violence (IPV) as risk factors that affected lifetime suicidal ideation. TW had higher rates of CSEs and IPV than cisgender people. The aim of this study was to comprehensively assess the prevalence of CSEs and IPV among TW and their association with lifetime suicidal ideation.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 247 TW in Shenyang and Kunming, China, from April to September 2018. CSEs, IPV, and lifetime suicidal ideation were assessed. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between self-reported CSEs under 18 years of age, IPV in adulthood, and lifetime suicidal ideation.

Results: In the study, 14.2% (35/247) of the sample participants reported CSEs under 18 years of age; 44.9% (111/247) reported experiencing IPV in adulthood, including 18.6% (44/247) of physical IPV, 27.1% (67/247) of trans-specific identity IPV, 31.6% (78/247) of verbal IPV, and 19.4% (48/247) of sexual IPV; and 26.3% (65/247) had thought about attempting suicide at least one time. CSEs and any form of IPV were significantly associated with suicidal ideation in this sample population. A final stepwise multivariate logistic regression model found that both physical and verbal IPVs were significantly associated with suicidal ideation when controlling for other factors (ORm₁ = 2.58, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.163-5.724; ORm₂ = 2.72, 95% CI = 1.334-5.547).

Conclusions: The findings highlight the effects of CSEs and IPV among TW and suggest the need for research on suicide in the future. Suicide prevention efforts for this invisible and vulnerable population should focus on those with physical and verbal IPV.

Keywords: childhood sexual experiences; intimate partner violence; regression; suicide; transgender women.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
China / epidemiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Intimate Partner Violence*
Prevalence
Risk Factors
Suicidal Ideation
Transgender Persons*

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Shanghai Three-year Action Plan for Public Health under Grants GWV-10.2-XD13, GWV-10.1-XK18, and GWV-10.1-XK15; the National Natural Science Funds of China under Grant Nos. 71673187 and 71603166; Shanghai Sailing Program under Grant No. 20YF1422900.