Intimate partner violence and human immunodeficiency virus risk among black and Hispanic women.

BACKGROUND

Approximately 80% of new HIV infections among U.S. women are among black/African American and Hispanic women. HIV risk may be associated with intimate partner violence (IPV); data regarding IPV for women in high-HIV prevalence areas are scarce.

PURPOSE

To examine prevalence and correlates of IPV among women.

METHODS

Heterosexual women and their male partners in cities with high HIV prevalence were enrolled. During 2006-2007, participants completed interviews about HIV risk factors and IPV (physical violence or forced sex) experiences. Data were analyzed during 2012-2013 using multivariate logistic regression to identify individual- and partner-level IPV correlates.

RESULTS

Of 1,011 female respondents, 985 (97.4%) provided risk factor and demographic data. Most were non-Hispanic black/African American (82.7%); living at or below poverty (86.7%); and tested HIV-negative (96.8%). IPV-physical violence was reported by 29.1%, and IPV-forced sex by 13.7%. Being married/living with a partner (AOR=1.60, 95% CI=1.06, 2.40); non-injection drug use (AOR=1.74, 95% CI=1.22, 2.48); and ever discussing male partners' number of current sex partners (AOR=1.60, 95% CI=1.15, 2.24) were associated with IPV-physical violence. Women reporting concurrent sex partners (AOR=1.80, 95% CI=1.04, 3.13) and ever discussing number of male partners' past sex partners (AOR=1.85, 95% CI=1.13, 3.05) were associated with IPV-forced sex. Feeling comfortable asking a male partner to use condoms was associated with decreased IPV-physical violence (AOR=0.32, 95% CI=0.16,0.64) and -forced sex (AOR=0.37, 95% CI=0.16, 0.85).

CONCLUSIONS

Prevention interventions that enhance women's skills to decrease HIV and IPV risk are important strategies for decreasing racial/ethnic disparities among women.