Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence in the First 6 Months Following HIV Diagnosis Among a Population-Based Sample in Rural Uganda

• Published in: AIDS and behavior 2020-04, Vol.24 (4), p.1252-1265
• Main Authors: Ogbonnaya, Ijeoma Nwabuzor, Wanyenze, Rhoda K., Reed, Elizabeth, Silverman, Jay G., Kiene, Susan M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aggression; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diagnosis; Domestic violence; Emotions; Female; Gender-based violence; Health Psychology; HIV; HIV Infections - diagnosis; HIV Infections - epidemiology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infectious Diseases; Intimate Partner Violence; Learning; Male; Medical diagnosis; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Men; Original Paper; Population studies; Prevalence; Public Health; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Risk management; Rural areas; Rural population; Sexual Partners; Sexually transmitted diseases; Social acceptance; Social interactions; Social support; STD; Tests; Uganda - epidemiology; Victimization; Violence; Women
• ISSN: 1090-7165; 1573-3254
• DOI: 10.1007/s10461-019-02673-8

Research in Uganda examining HIV-positive status disclosure and IPV victimization is scarce, and existing findings may not generalize to community-based samples of men and women newly diagnosed with HIV in Uganda. We investigated the prevalence of lifetime IPV, IPV experienced between HIV diagnosis and 6 months following diagnosis (recent IPV), and IPV specifically related to a partner learning one’s HIV-positive status among a sample of men and women newly diagnosed with HIV in a population-based study in rural Uganda. We also examined correlates of recent IPV, including HIV-positive status disclosure. The sample included 337 participants followed for 6 months after HIV diagnosis. Lifetime IPV findings showed that over half of the sample reported experiencing emotional IPV (62.81% of men, 70.37% of women), followed by physical IPV (21.49% of men, 26.39% of women) then sexual IPV (7.44% of men, 17.59% of women). For recent IPV, men and women reported similar rates of physical (4.63% and 8.29%, respectively) and emotional (19.44% and 25.91%, respectively) IPV. Women were more likely than men to report recent sexual IPV (8.29% vs. 1.85%); however, this relationship was no longer significant after controlling for other risk factors associated with sexual IPV (AOR = 3.47, 95% CI [0.65, 18.42]). Participants who disclosed their HIV-positive status to their partner had 59% lower odds of reporting emotional IPV (AOR = 0.41, 95% CI [0.21, 0.81]) than participants who did not disclose their HIV-positive status. Younger age, non-polygamous marriage, lower social support, and greater acceptance for violence against women were also significantly associated with experience of recent IPV. Overall, 12.20% of participants who experienced recent IPV reported that the IPV was related to their partner learning their HIV-positive status. Findings highlight the need for IPV screening and intervention integrated into HIV diagnosis, care, and treatment services.