Citation

Were E, Curran K, Delany-Moretlwe S, Nakku-Joloba E, Mugo NR, Kiarie J, Bukusi EA, Celum C, Baeten JM. AIDS 2011; 25(16): 2009-2018.

Affiliation

Department of Reproductive Health, Moi University, Kenya; Departments of Global Health Medicine; Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA; Wits Institute for Reproductive Health and HIV, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya; Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/QAD.0b013e32834b005d

PMID

21811146

Abstract

BACKGROUND:: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is common worldwide and is an important consideration in couples HIV voluntary counseling and testing (CVCT), especially for HIV serodiscordant couples (i.e., in which only one member is HIV infected). DESIGN:: Prospective study of 3408 HIV serodiscordant couples (2299 in which the HIV infected partner was female) from 7 countries from East and Southern Africa. METHODS:: At quarterly visits during up to 2 years of follow-up, participants were asked, separately, about IPV perpetrated against them by their partner during the prior 3 months. Correlates of IPV were determined by generalized estimating equations. RESULTS:: The majority of couples were married and living together, with an average duration of partnership of approximately 5 years. More than 39,000 quarterly visits were recorded. IPV was reported in 2.7% of visits by HIV infected women, 2.2% by HIV uninfected women, 0.9% by HIV infected men, and 0.7% by HIV uninfected men. The majority of IPV reports were verbal or a combination of verbal and physical violence. Those who were HIV infected were more likely to report IPV (for women adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.33, p = 0.043; for men AOR 2.20, p = 0.001), but IPV was not significantly associated with risk of HIV seroconversion in HIV uninfected participants. IPV incidence decreased during follow-up (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS:: During up to 2 years of prospective follow-up, most persons in stable HIV serodiscordant partnerships who had undergone CVCT did not report IPV. A modest increased risk of IPV was seen for HIV infected partners, both female and male.

Language: en