Objectives: Although a wealth of literature suggests that childhood physical, emotional, and sexual abuse are related to later-life HIV-related risk behaviors, few studies have explored disinhibition (e.g., impulsivity, risk-taking propensity, and sensation-seeking) as a risk factor in this relationship. Method: This cross-sectional study examined impulsivity, risk-taking propensity, and sensation seeking as mediators in the relationship between abuse history and engagement in HIV-related risk behaviors among a sample of 96 inner-city African American adolescents. Results: Findings indicated that abuse history was positively related to self-reported engagement in HIV-related risk behaviors (B=0.027, SE 0.008, [beta]=0.32, sr[superscript 2]=0.105, p=0.001), as well as risk-taking propensity (B=0.35, SE 0.11, [beta]=.030, sr[superscript 2]=0.090, p=0.003) and sensation seeking (B=0.17, SE 0.05, [beta]=0.35, sr[superscript 2]=0.124, p=0.0004). Abuse history was not related to impulsivity. Further, while sensation-seeking and risk-taking propensity (to a lesser extent) mediated this relationship, impulsivity did not. Conclusions: These findings provide an initial step in the examination of the mechanisms underlying the relationship between childhood abuse and engagement in HIV-related risk behaviors.