Citation

Vyas S. Sex Reprod. Healthc. 2017; 13: 68-74.

Affiliation

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Department of Population Health, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom. Electronic address: seema.vyas@lshtm.ac.uk.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.srhc.2017.06.002

PMID

28844360

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship between past year physical or sexual partner violence against women and women's self-report of sexually transmitted infection (STI) symptoms in post-revolution Egypt; and to examine the effects of men's and women's risky sexual behavioural characteristics and structural dimensions of poverty and gender inequality on this relationship. STUDY DESIGN: This study uses the nationally representative cross-sectional demographic and health survey data conducted in 2014. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between past year partner violence and self-report of STI symptoms among currently married women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: women's self-report of STI was based on their responses to three questions; whether in the past year they had: got a disease through sexual contact?, a genital sore or ulcer?, or a bad smelling abnormal genital discharge? Women who gave an affirmative response to one or more of these questions were assumed to self-report STI.

RESULTS: Almost one-third of women self-reported symptoms of STI. Fourteen percent of women reported they had experienced physical or sexual violence by a male partner in the past 12months. Abused women had a 2.76 times higher odds of self-reported STI symptoms (95% CI 2.25-3.38). The significant relationship between self-reported STI and past year partner violence against women did not alter when adjusting for men's and women's behavioural characteristics and factors related to poverty and gender inequality.

CONCLUSIONS: Public health interventions that address women's sexual and reproductive health need to consider violence response and prevention strategies.

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Egypt; Partner violence; Sexually transmitted infections