A large body of research has investigated the hypothesis that extremely negative events, such as sexual abuse, can create the need to use illicit drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism. Most of these previous studies have focused on female teenagers; the current study expands on this body of research by investigating the relationship between sexual abuse and illicit drug use among male and female students at a historically Black university. Data were drawn from a self-administered survey, the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Awareness and Use Study (ASAAUS), which was completed by 465 undergraduate and graduate male and female students who answered questions regarding their experiences of sexual abuse on or around campus and their use of marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, sedatives, hallucinogens, opiates, and designer drugs. Results of logistic regression analysis indicated that students who had experienced sexual abuse on or around campus were four times more likely to use amphetamines, cocaine, hallucinogens, opiates, and designer drugs than their non-victimized counterparts. The findings suggest the need for future research concerning the connection between sexual victimization and illicit drug use among African-American college students and may indicate a need to incorporate sexual and mental health surveillance into drug treatment programs serving college student populations. Tables, references