Abuse Impedes Prevention: The Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and HIV/STI Risk Among Young African American Women

AIDS Behav. 2015 Aug;19(8):1438-45. doi: 10.1007/s10461-014-0940-7.

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with risky sexual behavior and STIs among diverse groups of women. IPV was examined as a moderator of efficacy for an HIV/STI intervention. 848 African American women, 18-29, were randomly assigned to an HIV/STI intervention or control condition. Participants completed measures on sociodemographics, IPV, risky sexual behavior and received STI testing. IPV predicted inconsistent condom use and a risky sexual partner over 12-month follow-up. A significant interaction indicated that among women who experienced IPV, those in the intervention were more likely to test positive for Trichomonas vaginalis (TV). Among intervention participants, those who experienced IPV were more likely to test TV-positive than those who did not. In an HIV intervention that did not specifically address IPV, women in the control condition were less likely to acquire TV than those in the intervention. Consideration of contextual/interpersonal factors is essential when developing HIV intervention programs.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Black or African American / psychology
  • Black or African American / statistics & numerical data*
  • Condoms / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • HIV Infections / ethnology
  • HIV Infections / prevention & control*
  • HIV Infections / psychology
  • Heterosexuality
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Intimate Partner Violence / ethnology*
  • Intimate Partner Violence / psychology
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Prevalence
  • Risk Factors
  • Risk-Taking*
  • Sexual Behavior
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / ethnology
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / psychology
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Unsafe Sex / statistics & numerical data