HIV-Positive Women Report More Lifetime Partner Violence: Findings From a Voluntary Counseling and Testing Clinic in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

TLDR

The study aimed to compare partner violence experiences between HIV‑positive and HIV‑negative women. A cohort of 340 women was enrolled, with 245 followed and interviewed three months after HIV testing to assess violence prevalence and correlates. HIV‑positive women had significantly higher odds of reporting physical (OR 2.63) and sexual (OR 2.39) violence, and the odds were nearly tenfold higher among women under 30, underscoring violence as a risk factor for HIV infection.

Abstract

Objectives. Experiences of partner violence were compared between HIV-positive and HIV-negative women. Methods. Of 340 women enrolled, 245 (72%) were followed and interviewed 3 months after HIV testing to estimate the prevalence and identify the correlates of violence. Results. The odds of reporting at least 1 violent event was significantly higher among HIV-positive women than among HIV-negative women (physical violence odds ratio [OR] = 2.63; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.23, 5.63; sexual violence OR = 2.39; 95% CI = 1.21, 4.73). Odds of reporting partner violence was 10 times higher among younger (< 30 years) HIV-positive women than among younger HIV-negative women (OR = 9.99; 95% CI = 2.67, 37.37). Conclusions. Violence is a risk factor for HIV infection that must be addressed through multilevel prevention approaches.