TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2022//
TI  - Disparities in intimate partner violence among women at the intersection of disability and HIV status in South Africa: a cross-sectional study
JO  - BMJ open
A1  - Akobirshoev, Ilhom
A1  - Valentine, Anne
A1  - Zandam, Hussaini
A1  - Nandakumar, Allyala
A1  - Jewkes, Rachel
A1  - Blecher, Mark
A1  - Mitra, Monika
SP  - e054782
EP  - e054782
VL  - 12
IS  - 9
N2  - OBJECTIVE: Previous research suggests a significant relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV infection in women and that the risk of IPV is heightened in women with disabilities. Women with disabilities, particularly those residing in low-income and middle-income countries, may experience additional burdens that increase their vulnerability to IPV. We aimed to examine the association between having disability and HIV infection and the risk of IPV among women in South Africa. <br><br>DESIGN: Using the 2016 South Africa Demographic and Health Survey, we calculated the prevalence of IPV and conducted modified Poisson regressions to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted risk ratios of experiencing IPV by disability and HIV status. PARTICIPANTS: Our final analytical sample included 1269 ever-partnered women aged 18-49 years, who responded to the IPV module and received HIV testing. <br><br>RESULTS: The prevalence of IPV was twice as high in women with disabilities with HIV infection compared with women without disabilities without HIV infection (21.2% vs 50.1%). Our unadjusted regression analysis showed that compared with women without disabilities without HIV infection, women with disabilities with HIV infection had almost four times higher odds (OR 3.72, 95% CI 1.27 to 10.9, p<0.05) of experiencing IPV. It appeared that women with disabilities with HIV infection experience compounded disparity. The association was compounded, with the OR for the combination of disability status and HIV status equal to or more than the sum of each of the individual ORs. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Women with disabilities and HIV infection are at exceptionally high risk of IPV in South Africa. Given that HIV infection and disability magnify each other's risks for IPV, targeted interventions to prevent IPV and to address the complex and varied needs of doubly marginalised populations of women with disabilities with HIV infection are critical.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2044-6055
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054782
ID  - ref1
ER  -