Papers by Allison L Kirschbaum
LGBT Health
Purpose: Bidirectional intimate partner violence (IPV), the reporting of both IPV victimization a... more Purpose: Bidirectional intimate partner violence (IPV), the reporting of both IPV victimization and perpetration, is likely the most common form of violence among gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority men (GBM) and is thought to be part of a larger syndemic of stressors. This purpose of this study was to examine associations between syndemic factors and lifetime bidirectional IPV among GBM in three Canadian cities to inform future interventions. Methods: Data from GBM (N = 2449) were used to fit three logistic regression models with lifetime bidirectional IPV as the outcome and four syndemic factors (i.e., depressive symptomatology, childhood sexual abuse [CSA], illegal drug use, and alcohol misuse) as independent variables. Model 1 examined syndemic factors individually. Model 2 employed a summative scale of syndemic exposure. Model 3 used marginal analysis to examine the relative excess risk of each potential iteration of the syndemic. Results: Thirty-one percent (N = 762) of respondents reported lifetime bidirectional IPV. Each of the syndemic factors were significantly associated with greater odds of reporting bidirectional IPV (Model 1). Model 2 exhibited a dose-response relationship between the number of syndemic factors reported and bidirectional IPV. Model 3 suggested that the specific combination of depressive symptomatology, CSA, and alcohol misuse resulted in the highest risk of lifetime bidirectional IPV. Conclusion: Bidirectional IPV was common in this sample and was associated with a complex interplay of stressors. However, there may be opportunities to target interventions to the specific syndemic issues in an effort to prevent and mitigate this form of IPV in GBM.
Prevalence, determinants, and trends in the experience and perpetration of intimate partner violence among a cohort of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver, Canada (2017-2022)
PurposeLongitudinal data on the experience and perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) am... more PurposeLongitudinal data on the experience and perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) is limited. We estimated the prevalence of past six-month (P6M) physical and/or sexual IPV (hereafter IPV) experience and perpetration, identified their determinants, and assessed temporal trends, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe used data from the Engage Cohort Study (2017-2022) of GBM recruited using respondent-driven sampling in Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for determinants and self-reported P6M IPV were estimated using generalized estimating equations, accounting for attrition (inverse probability of censoring weights) and relevant covariates. Longitudinal trends of IPV were also assessed.ResultsBetween 2017-2022, 1,455 partnered GBM (median age 32 years, 82% gay, and 71% white) had at least one follow-up visit. Baseline proportions were 31% for lifetime IPV exper...
Crystal methamphetamine use and bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among gay, bisexual and other sexual minority men in Canada
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
The purpose of the current study was to investigate women’s experiences with same-sex sexual coer... more The purpose of the current study was to investigate women’s experiences with same-sex sexual coercion perpetration and victimization. Specifically, I sought to explore the role that the stress of living as a sexual minority plays in these experiences as well as to determine whether the psychological variables of perceived powerlessness, psychological distress, social support, and alcohol use mediate the relationship between minority stress and perpetration and victimization experiences. Data were collected online from selfidentified women and individuals assigned female at birth who reported experiencing genital sexual contact with another woman (N=339). Of the cisgender women in the sample, 31.6% reported same-sex sexual coercion victimization and 19.2% reported same-sex sexual coercion perpetration. Among cisgender sexual minority participants, experiencing heterosexist discrimination was related to same-sex sexual coercion victimization but not perpetration. Internalized heterose...
Minority stressors and connectedness among urban gay, bisexual, and queer men
Psychology of Men & Masculinities, 2022
The Journal of Sex Research, 2017
The term masturbation is often not clearly defined despite its prevalent use in sex education, se... more The term masturbation is often not clearly defined despite its prevalent use in sex education, sex research, and clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to understand what behaviors are typically considered to be masturbation as well as the situational and individual variables that may affect the labeling of a behavior as such. An online study of 564 individuals demonstrated that a wide variety of behaviors were considered to be masturbation by a majority of participants. No difference was found between men and women in the total number of behaviors labeled as masturbation. Both men and women were more likely to label a behavior as masturbation (1) if there was no sexual partner present than if there was and (2) if an orgasm occurred than if it did not. In addition, women were more likely than men to label a behavior as masturbation if they were alone and if no orgasm occurred. Younger age was associated with labeling more behaviors as masturbation, but sexual identity, self-pleasuring experience, partnered sexual experience, and attitudes toward masturbation were not related to the number of behaviors labeled as masturbation. Results speak to the importance of behavioral specificity when discussing masturbation with students, clients, and in sex research.
Masturbation Labeling Scale
PsycTESTS Dataset
AIDS and Behavior
HIV treatment optimism and the ways in which news of HIV biomedical advances in HIV is presented ... more HIV treatment optimism and the ways in which news of HIV biomedical advances in HIV is presented to the most at-risk communities interact in ways that affect risk behavior and the incidence of HIV. The goal of the current study was to understand the relationships among HIV treatment optimism, knowledge of HIV biomedical advances, and current and expected increased risk behavior as a result of reading hypothetical news stories of further advances. Most of an online-recruited sample of MSM were quite knowledgeable about current biomedical advances. After reading three hypothetical news stories, 15-24% of those not living with HIV and 26-52% of those living with HIV reported their condom use would decrease if the story they read were true. Results suggest the importance of more cautious reporting on HIV biomedical advances, and for targeting individuals with greater treatment optimism and those living with HIV via organizations where they are most likely to receive their information about HIV.
The Journal of Experimental Education, 2007
... contextual examples can help a student construct a better under-standing of a word's mea... more ... contextual examples can help a student construct a better under-standing of a word's meaning when its definition is vague or confusing (Igo et al., 2004; Nelson-Heber, 1986). ... Monaghan, 2002; Gagne, 1985; Igo et al., 2004; Sadoski, 2005; Soloman, Medin, & Lynch, 1999). ...
The term masturbation is often not clearly defined despite its prevalent use in sex education, se... more The term masturbation is often not clearly defined despite its prevalent use in sex education, sex research, and clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to understand what behaviors are typically considered to be masturbation as well as the situational and individual variables that
may affect the labeling of a behavior as such. An online study of 564 individuals demonstrated that a wide variety of behaviors were considered to be masturbation by a majority of participants. No difference was found between men and women in the total number of behaviors labeled as masturbation. Both men and women were more likely to label a behavior as
masturbation (1) if there was no sexual partner present than if there was and (2) if an orgasm occurred than if it did not. In addition, women were more likely than men to label a behavior as masturbation if they were alone and if no orgasm occurred. Younger age was associated with labeling more behaviors as masturbation, but sexual identity, self-pleasuring experience, partnered sexual experience, and attitudes toward masturbation were not related to the number of behaviors labeled as masturbation. Results speak to the importance of behavioral specificity when discussing masturbation with students, clients, and in sex research.
Uploads
Papers by Allison L Kirschbaum
may affect the labeling of a behavior as such. An online study of 564 individuals demonstrated that a wide variety of behaviors were considered to be masturbation by a majority of participants. No difference was found between men and women in the total number of behaviors labeled as masturbation. Both men and women were more likely to label a behavior as
masturbation (1) if there was no sexual partner present than if there was and (2) if an orgasm occurred than if it did not. In addition, women were more likely than men to label a behavior as masturbation if they were alone and if no orgasm occurred. Younger age was associated with labeling more behaviors as masturbation, but sexual identity, self-pleasuring experience, partnered sexual experience, and attitudes toward masturbation were not related to the number of behaviors labeled as masturbation. Results speak to the importance of behavioral specificity when discussing masturbation with students, clients, and in sex research.