Citation

Schwartz RM, Weber KM, Schechter GE, Connors NC, Gousse Y, Young MA, Cohen MH. AIDS Patient Care STDS 2014; 28(5): 260-267.

Affiliation

Department of Population Health, North Shore-LIJ Health System, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine , Great Neck, New York.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/apc.2013.0342

PMID

24724987

Abstract

Gender-based violence (GBV) is common among women with and at risk for HIV, yet little is known about the GBV associated psychological factors that could be modifiable through behavioral interventions. The current study examined the associations between some of these psychological factors (i.e., hopelessness, consideration of future consequences, self esteem), mental health symptoms, substance abuse, and GBV among a sample of 736 HIV-infected and sociodemographically similar uninfected participants in the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS).

RESULTS indicated high rates of lifetime GBV among the sample (58%), as well as high rates of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) (22.2%). HIV-infected women were more likely to be hopeless and to experience lower consideration of future consequences as compared to uninfected women. Multivariable analysis indicated that current non-injection drug use and a history of injection drug use were the main correlates of GBV and CSA, even when other psychosocial variables were included in analytic models. Being born outside of the US reduced the likelihood of GBV and CSA. Future research directions and intervention implications are discussed.

Language: en