Intimate Partner Violence and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Risk Among Black and Hispanic Women

BackgroundApproximately 80% of new HIV infections among U.S. women are among black/African American and Hispanic women. HIV risk may be associated with intimate partner violence (IPV); data regarding IPV for women in high-HIV prevalence areas are scarce.PurposeTo examine prevalence and correlates of IPV among women.MethodsHeterosexual women and their male partners in cities with high HIV prevalence were enrolled. During 2006-2007, participants completed interviews about HIV risk factors and IPV (physical violence or forced sex) experiences. Data were analyzed during 2012-2013 using multivariate logistic regression to identify individual- and partner-level IPV correlates.ResultsOf 1,011 female respondents, 985 (97.4%) provided risk factor and demographic data. Most were non-Hispanic black/African American (82.7%); living at or below poverty (86.7%); and tested HIV-negative (96.8%). IPV-physical violence was reported by 29.1%, and IPV-forced sex by 13.7%. Being married/living with a partner (AOR=1.60, 95% CI=1.06, 2.40); non-injection drug use (AOR=1.74, 95% CI=1.22, 2.48); and ever discussing male partners' number of current sex partners (AOR=1.60, 95% CI=1.15, 2.24) were associated with IPV-physical violence. Women reporting concurrent sex partners (AOR=1.80, 95% CI=1.04, 3.13) and ever discussing number of male partners' past sex partners (AOR=1.85, 95% CI=1.13, 3.05) were associated with IPV-forced sex. Feeling comfortable asking a male partner to use condoms was associated with decreased IPV-physical violence (AOR=0.32, 95% CI=0.16,0.64) and -forced sex (AOR=0.37, 95% CI=0.16, 0.85).ConclusionsPrevention interventions that enhance women's skills to decrease HIV and IPV risk are important strategies for decreasing racial/ethnic disparities among women.