BACKGROUND

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious health concern for women in the United States, and HIV-positive women experience more frequent and severe abuse compared with HIV-negative women. The goals of this study were to determine the prevalence of IPV among HIV-infected women receiving care in an urban clinic and to determine the HIV clinical and mental health correlates of IPV among HIV-positive women.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 196 women visiting an inner-city HIV clinic. Women were eligible if they were 18 years of age or older, English speaking, and received both HIV primary and gynecologic care at the clinic. The survey queried demographics, drug and alcohol history, depressive symptoms, and IPV, using the Partner Violence Scale. Antiretroviral therapy (ART), CD4 cell count, HIV-1 RNA level, and appointment adherence were abstracted from clinical records.

FINDINGS

Overall, 26.5% of women reported experiencing IPV in the past year. There were no differences in sociodemographics, substance use, ART prescription, CD4 count, or HIV-1 RNA level between women who experienced IPV and those who had not. Women with mild and severe depressive symptoms were significantly more likely to report IPV compared with those without, with adjusted odds ratios of 3.4 and 5.5, respectively. Women who missed gynecologic appointments were 1.9 times more likely to report experiencing IPV.

CONCLUSIONS

IPV is prevalent among women presenting for HIV care, and depressive symptoms or missed gynecologic appointments should prompt further screening for IPV.